Too Late
by misty23y
Summary: Ranger is called away on a personal matter and when he finally makes it home from Trenton, will he be in time to save the love of his life. Established Babe. High angst. Tissue warning. Told from Ranger's POV.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: All things familiar belong to Ms. Evanovich. I make no money.**

 **Too Late**

 **Ranger's POV**

She was gone. My light, my angel, my heart, and my soul was gone. She will never grace my presence again. I keep thinking back to the last time a saw her, over three months ago, before I had to go to Miami. I had received news an hour earlier than my Abuela Rosa had stage four pancreatic cancer. There were no warnings, no symptoms. She wasn't feeling well for a few days, went to the doctor, and a week later got her prognosis. She didn't have long to live. She called me, asking me to stay with her. I couldn't say no; after all, my Abuela saved my life.

I stopped at Stephanie's apartment before I left, telling her everything about Abuela. I told her I didn't know how long I'd be gone, but that if she needed anything, Tank was there for her. I told her she could come with me or come to visit; the ball was in her court. As I was about to leave, she kissed me, asking me to stay longer, to make love to her. I couldn't resist. We spent the night making sweet love. The next morning, I left after a round of morning lovemaking, promising to keep in touch. I kept my promise. We spoke every day, even if it was only to say good night, we still spoke. I knew that she'd ended with Morelli, permanently, after she caught him getting a blow job in an alley by Stark Street by some hooker. It was his "payment" for not arresting the hooker.

Five days ago, my Abuela died. She died in her sleep, peacefully. We buried her two days ago. Yesterday, I returned to Trenton, ready to see my Babe, to touch her, to feel her, to hold her in my arms once more, only I was too late. She was abducted from her apartment as I boarded my flight at 0300. By the time I arrived at her apartment at 0600, she was missing for about three hours. We hit the streets, searching everywhere for her. But we didn't find anything. Then, at 1400 hours, an alert came for a fire at an abandoned warehouse along the river. The person who called it in said he heard a woman screaming. I raced there, with Tank, Bobby, and Lester by my side. Upon our arrival, we saw the warehouse completely engulfed in flames. It took TFD five hours to put out the fire. Once they were able to enter, though, they found the body, the remains of a woman who was approximately 5'7". They found Stephanie's purse, trackers and cell phone dumped behind the building. They needed to use dental records to ID the victim. But the preliminary investigation pointed to the victim being one Stephanie Michelle Plum, as the cops found her jewelry at the scene, including the three-carat diamond engagement ring I had given her before I left which she was wearing around her neck on a chain until I could return so we could properly announce our engagement.

I don't remember much else after the fire chief handed me back my ring, except for having the strong desire to kill someone. All I know is I woke up this morning, restrained to my bed, with my core team watching me.

"Tell me it's not true. Please tell me that woman wasn't my Babe."

"Cuz, I'm sorry, but the dental records were a match. Stephanie is dead." Lester said.

I close my eyes to hide the tears that are threatening to fall. I lost the two most important women in my life in less than a week, first my Abuela, now my Babe.

"I want to be left alone," I order,

"No can do, man. We're taking shifts. Her wake is tomorrow; the funeral is the day after."

Before I can argue, I feel a pinch and notice the syringe Bobby has in his hand. Son of a bitch, I need to be more aware of my surroundings.

I woke up the next morning, refused to get out of bed. There was no reason for me to live any longer. Mi corazón died. I forced myself to get up in time to go her wake at Stiva's. She had the big room, for the "celebrities" of Trenton. I saw the Burg busybodies, still spreading their lies about her. I saw the cops, upset over the lost money because they couldn't wager on her anymore. I saw her mother, complaining about Stephanie, saying "why me" to anyone who would listen, while her sister parroted her responses. Her niece Angie looked annoyed to be there, while her father was busy laughing with the guys from the lodge. Only her grandma and Mary Alice seemed to be genuinely sad and heartbroken. I was almost at her coffin when I heard Morelli's voice behind me.

"It's your fault, Manoso, for telling her she could do this stupid job. It's your fault that she's dead. If you would have left her alone, she'd be safe and alive right now, with my children at home."

I couldn't respond; I didn't have the energy. My life is over. Grandma Mazur responded for me, "Joseph, you're the horse's patoot. My baby granddaughter was too good for your lying cheating ass. Go back to your hookers on Stark Street; I'm sure one of them is already carrying your devil spawn."

She places her hand around my arm and guides me to the coffin.

"My Stephanie loved you very much. She loved you with her whole heart. She told me about the engagement, and she was incredibly happy to be marrying you. She couldn't wait for the wedding. She bought her dress already. She looked beautiful in it. I have a picture." She told me quietly as she reached into her purse and pulled ou photo, and I had to gasp because my Babe looked radiant. I took the photograph in my hand, carefully examining it, trying to record her image to my memory. I notice that, in the photo, her breasts seemed bigger, and her tummy a little rounder than it was before I left for Miami. I looked at her grandmother, who seemed to know my question.

"Yes, I'm sorry, Carlos. She found out the day I took this picture. She couldn't wait for you to come home so she could share the happy news with you."

My legs feel weak, and I swear, my heart is now ripped out of my chest. I kneel on the kneeler, placing my head in my hands, and pray. I pray for Steph's passage into heaven; I pray for my unborn child. I pray for the soul of whoever killed my Babe. I pray for myself that I can find the will to go on, to live. I feel the tears falling, and I can't stop them. Steph's grandmother stays with me, consoling me as I have consoled Steph countless times. Mary Alice comes over to me, hugging me. "Mr. Ranger, did you love my Aunt Steph?"

"Yes, Mary Alice, with all my heart."

"You know, it's okay to cry. Crying is our way of letting those we love know we love them. They can feel our tears in heaven." She said a matter of factly. I stood up and sat in one of the chairs at the back corner of the room. Mary Alice climbed into my lap. "Mr. Ranger, if you're holding me while I cry, you can cry too, and no one will notice."

With that, her little body started to shake with tears, and soon my tears joined hers. No one else in her family approached me, and I preferred it that way.

I'm not sure how I made it back to Haywood, but I somehow did. Rangeman was holding a memorial service for her at 2200 when we go to our skeleton night crew. I was in the largest conference room with my men when the service began with Lester calling for everyone's attention.

"Tomorrow we say good-bye to our little sister and friend, Stephanie Michelle Plum. She was our first and only Rangewoman, the person with the best instincts and a killer body. But, most of all, she had a heart of gold. She loved each of us as her brothers and never thought of us as thugs or criminals as the rest of the Burg does. Not to mention, she claimed our Boss' heart. Only I knew that before Ranger left for Miami, he proposed to Steph, and she accepted. So, I'd like to toast our friend, sister, and the bravest woman I know for agreeing to spend her life with Ranger, Rest in Peace, Beautiful."

Everyone said their nickname for her before each man shared a story about her. By the time we finished at 0030, we all had tears in our eyes.

I somehow managed to get myself dressed and ready for her funeral. We at Rangeman decided to wear our dress uniforms, as we were all still active, either in the reserves or under contract. She would have loved to see us in our uniforms. I could picture her eyes glazing over and the panty-ruining comment she'd make under her breath. Ella stopped in my apartment to make sure I ate. She was wearing a tasteful black dress with back flats and a hat.

"Steph would have loved to see you dressed in your uniform."

"I know. I was going to wear this when we got married. We were planning on having a military service."

"At least she died knowing how much you love her."

"Ella, she was pregnant. Her grandmother told me yesterday. She was carrying my child, our child, and they are both gone. Tia, I don't know how to move forward."

"Carlos, you will move forward by remembering her every day, by living your life, by opening your heart to love. Maybe someday, someone else will catch your eye. Don't be stupid. If you find another Steph, go after her. That's how you will honor Stephanie."

I shook my head, and we left my apartment together. I took the elevator down to the garage, and the parade of black SUV's made their way to the church. We offered to be pallbearers, but her mother refused, only wanted Burg men. So, we made our way into the church. We saw the collective gasp from the Burg busybodies as they saw us in our dress uniforms, with our medals and stripes adorning our chests. When Morelli saw me, he paled, finally realizing my rank. Of all of my men, I'm the highest officer, at Lieutenant Colonel.

We all sat on the right side of the church, as the Plum family and rest of the Burg left that side open, clearly not wanting to mingle with the thugs and miscreants. I sat in the first pew, next to the aisle, next to my fiancé, my life, my love. The priest started the mass, and for the first time in my life, I cried in public. My heart was breaking; the light off. I felt despair that I didn't even feel after being tortured for a month is some Columbian Hell-hole. The finality of her death finally hit home. The knowledge that she was pregnant that she was carrying another life within her made things a thousand times more unbearable. Ten minutes into the service, a small hand found its way into mine, and I turned to my right, seeing my daughter Julie sitting next to me. "It'll be okay, Papi. I'm here for you."

My daughter is fifteen going on thirty. We spent a lot of time together with Abuela Rosa and have grown incredibly close. So close that she will be living with me this coming school year. Julie being here reminds me that I have to continue to live life because I have a daughter who loves me, and who I love. "She was pregnant," I tell Julie.

I see understanding dawn on her face as her tears start to fall. Concentrating on comforting my daughter is helping me to regain control and composure. I listen as the priest drones on and on. Finally, the priest asks if anyone would like to speak. Mrs. Mazur rises and walks up to the pulpit.

"My baby granddaughter, Stephanie, was a light, an angel who enjoyed life. She always wanted to fly, to be free, to break out of the mold that the Burg holds to such high esteem. She finally found her raison d'etre when she met and fell in love with Ranger, Carlos Manoso. Ranger was the first person who saw Stephanie's soul, who helped her to fly, to be all that she could be. He encouraged her, gave her his praise, and gave her his love. What the Burg didn't know was that they got engaged three months ago. While Ranger had gone away to care for his grandmother, Stephanie decided she wanted to keep things a secret until he could be back with her. She was excited, even buying her wedding dress. Then, five weeks ago, she discovered that she was pregnant, and was over the moon. She started a baby book, writing down her dreams for their child. She was anxious for Ranger to return so she could tell him the news in person. Unfortunately, she never got the opportunity.

"Throughout the last few days, I have heard you busy bodies talk about how she was a disgrace, finally getting what she deserved for not being a Burg housewife. You are more disappointed to no longer have her to gossip about, to place bets on, to ridicule. You are not at all sad at her demise but are here because it is the proper thing to do. Those men on the left, sitting with Ranger, are the only ones in this church who are truly mourning my wonderful granddaughter. Those men you call thugs are here, in their dress uniforms, with their medals and accomplishments proudly on display. They are men who are honorable, who all love Stephanie as their little sister. They always protected her, always supported her, and always gave her their respect. So, I will now read to you what Stephanie wrote after she found out she was pregnant.

" _Today I found out about you, my sweet baby. Today I found out that I will be a mother, and Carlos will be a father, again. I want to start to tell you about your family. You have a half-sister, Julie, who is so much like your Daddy, beautiful, strong, intelligent, caring and loving. She lives in Miami with her mother, father, and half-siblings, though I'm hoping she'll spend time here once your Daddy and I get married. Don't worry, sweet one; we aren't getting married because of you. We are already engaged and have a tentative date set, but shh, that's a secret. Your Daddy, is, well, amazing. He has the most intense brown eyes that turn obsidian when he's angry or filled with passion. His skin is a mocha latte, and I hope yours will be too. He has the silkiest brown hair, sleek and soft, which I hope you inherit instead of my horrible curls. But most of all, your Daddy is the bravest, best man that I know. He loves with his entire being, makes me feel safe, and always supports me. He is an Army Ranger, who spent years in darkness to keep the rest of us safe. You will have a lot of Uncles, all of whom are brave like your Daddy. If you are a baby girl, don't plan on dating until you are forty. Your uncles will scare away all boys. If you are a boy, be prepared to learn to shoot a gun, participate in military drills, and learn to love black. Either way, though, know that you are loved and always will be. We will support you and allow you to fly. Te quiero, carino."_

With those last words, Edna Mazur walked slowly back to her seat. I saw her body struggling to comply, and I got up to help her. She gave me a smile and a kiss, and for the first time, I noticed how her eyes were Stephanie's, and her smile was Steph's also. They are kindred spirits. I saw Morelli stand up, but with a glance, he sat back down, wisely so. When no one else got up, the priest ended the service, and we headed to the cemetery. I am still persona non grata, but I don't care, no one will keep me away from my love. When we arrive, we all stand near the coffin and listen to the gravesite prayers. I watch as everyone drops their roses on her coffin before walking away, ready to eat food and gossip once more back at the Plum house. Only after the Burg finishes do my men say their goodbyes.

"Papi, take your time. I'll wait over there." Julie says, pointing to a tree. I'm the only one left, and I walk to the coffin.

"Babe, I love you. I'm sorry I wasn't there to save you and our child. I will always love you, but I promise, I'll try to move on and love again. You will be the only person to have my whole heart because a part of it is dead with you. I regret pushing you away, for our someday could have started sooner. Te quiero, querida." I say, before throwing my rose. Suddenly, I feel a tingle at the base of my neck. I quickly look around, but I don't see her. I guess it's my grief. I turn to Julie, and we slowly walk away, turning my back on my future that is never going to happen.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: All things familiar belong to Ms. Evanovich. I make no money.**

 **Ranger's POV**

 **One Year Later**

Today marks a year since my Babe left me, a year since I last heard her sweet voice, a year since I lost both my present and my future, our future. Edna Mazur had become a great comfort to me, calling to see how I was, sharing in stories of Stephanie's childhood. She allowed me to remember her, to grieve for her. She also pushed me to open my heart again. So when Sofia, my sister Celia's best friend, and I crossed paths again six months ago, I gave her a shot. We started dating exclusively five months ago. Julie's been living with me, and she likes Sofia. Sofia is great with Julie. We didn't have sex until we were dating for three months. Neither one of us wanted to rush things, and I didn't want her to be a rebound.

Now the last two months have been wonderful. I still think about Stephanie every day, I still look at her picture and wish that things have been different, but I try not to dwell on her. I don't want to live with regret anymore. I haven't spent the night with Sofia. I have Julie to take care of, and I need to be home for her. Sofia understands. I haven't had her in my apartment yet. I want to keep my Rangeman life separate from our life. She's been in my office and comes to my building, but seven is off limits. I know if we stay together, I'll have to merge the two, but until then, this apartment is where Stephanie lives, where she still breathes. I can't help reliving our memories together. The night I came home and found her in my bed during the Slayer incident, the day she came to visit me with cake after Scrog. I still have her clothes in my closet, her perfume on my bathroom counter, and her strawberry shampoo in the shower. I can't part with her yet. In my office on seven, I have a picture of her from one of her distractions. She was wearing a little black dress, with her hair falling in beautiful curls and her makeup understated. I often talk to her when I sit at the desk.

On five, I had to remove her memories. It wasn't fair to Sofia. I know that I love Sofia, but she doesn't have my entire heart. I know I can have a good life with her. She understands my job and doesn't get mad when I can't see her or must cancel a date because of work. She is fine with me visiting the other offices at a moment's notice. I lucked out with her.

"Papi, are you going to propose to Sofia?" Julie asks, startling me from my revelations.

"Yes, Carina, I am. I think it's time. I know that I'm happy with her. I don't want to waste more time. Are you okay with that?"

"Yes, I am. I like Sofia too, I mean, she's not Stephanie, but she's good for you."

"Then why do I feel like I'm cheating on Stephanie when I'm out with Sofia?"

"Probably because you never got to see Stephanie's body, because the medical examiner used dental records to identify Steph. Papi, if you're not ready, don't rush it."

"I'm ready, Carina, I'm just scared. What if Stephanie is alive somewhere waiting for me? What if she comes back and finds me with a new family?"

"Papi, you need to stop. I know it's hard. I know you love Stephanie, but you need to move on. That doesn't mean you forget her, but it means that you allow yourself to live a life. You deserve to have a life. It's what Stephanie would want."

"I know you're right, Julie, but I'm having troubling getting my heart to agree with my brain."

"I understand, but it's time."

After my conversation with Julie, I call up Rossini's and make a reservation for Saturday night at 2000 for two. Now, it's time to call Sofia and set up the date with her. I will ask Sofia for her hand in marriage on Saturday.

 _"Hello,"_ Sofia answers.

"Hi, Sofia. Do you want to go out to dinner on Saturday night at 2000?" I ask her.

 _"Does that mean eight o'clock?"_

"Yes, Sofia, eight."

 _"Of course, Carlos. Where are we going?"_ She asks.

"Rossini's."

 _"Okay, I'll dress appropriately. Will I see you tonight or tomorrow?"_

"Probably not. I'm working on a case with TPD and the FBI. It's at a critical juncture."

 _"Okay then, see you Saturday. I love you, Carlos."_

"Me too, Sofia," I reply before hanging up.

 **The Next Morning**

"So, what we have here is intel that they are holding at least six women against their will, along with about three or four babies. It seems that our bad guys are selling the women into the slavery rings and the babies for illegal adoptions. While most of the children end up with wealthy parents, the women are not as lucky. From what we were able to track, at least half are found dead within four months of their purchase." Agent Bicard with the FBI tells the room.

"How and when do you want to take them out?" I ask.

"We want to infiltrate on Monday. Our intel also suggests that new "merchandise" is due in on Sunday, so if we wait until Monday, we can save more women and children."

"I suggest that TPD takes the lead in the sting. That way, we can ensure that everything goes down without a hitch." Detective Morelli arrogantly states.

Agent Bicard counters, "Manoso and his team will coordinate the sting. TPD and the FBI will assist. He has more experience in this type of operation than you do, Detective, and our goal is to get these women out alive. His team knows how to be lethal and stealthy."

I watch as Morelli sneers at Agent Bicard. I'm glad to see him unhappy. Somehow, he managed to convince the Burg that Stephanie and I were not engaged and that he was her fiancé. He also laid claim to my child. But that is neither here nor there, considering Stephanie is dead. Since her death, he has been relentless on my men, citing them for any minor infraction he can find. He even gave a ticket for parking a half an inch too close to a hydrant. My men can't stand him, and he's lucky he still has his gun on his waist. It's because we are using our first-floor conference room that he is even allowed in my building.

The phone rings and I pick it up.

 _"Uh, Boss, sorry to interrupt, but Miss Caballo is here to see you."_

"Escort the client to my office. I'll be there in five to ten minutes." I respond, not wanting Morelli to know that Sofia is here. He'd take that opportunity to try and insinuate that I don't love Stephanie. It doesn't matter that he and Terry Gilman are fucking like rabbits at every chance they get.

"Well, gentlemen, my team needs twenty-four hours to come up with a plan of action. If we could meet back here tomorrow at 1300, we will have the plan ready to go." I tell the room.

"That's perfect, Manoso. We'll see you then." Agent Bicard says, effectively ending the meeting. I walk out first, heading to the stairs. When I get out on five, I walk to my office, with its door closed.

"Hi, Sofia. What brings you here?" I ask before kissing her on her lips.

"I missed you. I figured maybe we could have a quick lunch together since you are busy until Saturday night. I'm not sure if I'll have a chance to stop by before then."

Sofia is the Events Coordinator for the Governor of New Jersey, a position held by her for that last two governors. She has long brown-black straight hair that falls halfway down her back, brown eyes, and a complexion a few shades lighter than mine. She is curvy, with a generous chest and nice ass. She's 5'5" and 120 lbs. She is also Cuban American, so we share the same heritage.

"That sounds great. Do you want to eat here or do you want to go out?"

"Can we eat in your office?"

"Sure."

We head to the breakroom, grabbing a couple of sandwiches, a piece of fruit, and water before returning to my office. We talk about our week while eating, and Sofia asks about Julie. Finally, after we finish our meal, she stalks over to me.

"I'm ready for my dessert now." She says as she straddles my lap, kissing me full on the lips. I don't want to fuck her here. I don't want her in my office. Stephanie is in this room. I pray for a distraction. Thankfully, there's a knock on my door, interrupting our make-out session.

I sigh, "Sorry, Sofia." I say as she gets up and sits next to me. "Come in," I reply.

"Sorry Boss, Miss Caballo, but an alarm at Raymond's Jewelry store is going off, and it looks like a robbery in progress," Cal says.

"I'm sorry, Sofia, but I have to go."

"No problem, Carlos. I'll talk to you later." She replies. I chastely kiss her before leaving my office to get geared up. Cal gives a slight nod, understands he is to escort her out of the building. Only my Babe and Julie have full access outside of my employees.

 **Saturday Afternoon**

Tonight is the night. Tonight I will ask Sofia to marry me. What am I doing? Am I making the right decision? I send a small prayer up to God that I'm making the correct decision. There's a knock on my door then Tank walks into my office.

"Ranger, I just got off the phone with Agent Bicard. We need to move in this afternoon. It seems that the women and children are being moved tonight, after midnight. The feds and TPD will be here in thirty."

"Fuck. Okay. I'll be there. I need ten minutes to change and call Sofia. We're supposed to have a date tonight, but I don't want to keep her waiting."

"Okay. Conference room one?"

"Yes."

With that, Tank leaves my office. I pick up my phone. I hate canceling on Sofia three hours before, because I know she's probably already started to get ready, but this case is important.

 _"Hello, stranger."_ She purrs into the phone.

"Hello, Sofia. I'm sorry, but I need to cancel our date. We need to move in tonight on that case I told you about with the missing women and children. I'm sorry."

 _"It's okay. I understand. Get those women and children. Come to my house after, if you want. I know Julie's in Miami, right?"_

"Yes. I'll try to see you tonight. No promises, Sofia."

 _"Bye, Carlos."_

I hang up without replying. I run up to my apartment and quickly change. I grab Steph's engagement ring as my talisman, my lucky charm. "Wish me luck, Babe."

I arrive in the conference room nine minutes after Tank left my office, ready to go. Soon after, the rest of the takedown team arrived. We once again go over the specifics, adjusting what we need to in light of the earlier extraction. Once we all have our roles set, we roll out.

When we arrive at the warehouse, we see the sentry waiting. My leading team, consisting of Hector, Cal, Hal, and Miguel take out each sentry silently, without alerting anyone else. Ram and Zero are in their sniper positions, telling us we are clear to move inside. I take the main entrance with Tank, Lester, and Bobby while Manny, Vince, Zip, and Morelli enter through the rear. The interior guards come at us, and we take them out with tranquilizer darts. I lead my team to the holding area in the center of the warehouse, where we see several cells set up. What the cells are made up of are those storage units that you can keep in your driveway. They developed an ingenious way of transporting their goods. No one would suspect the Pod contained anything but furniture. There are eight cells, and we each take one, knowing that all the sentries are down and out for the count. The forward team has our six, just in case.

I stand before my cell, getting a tingle down my spine that I haven't felt in over a year. I shake my head, to bring my mind to focus. Losing focus at a time like this could prove deadly. I tamp down my emotions and open the door. The sight before me drains all blood from my head. I see a woman with brown curly hair lying on her side on the bed in front of me. I can see her skin at her waist where her shirt bunches up around her torso. I can make out the start of a tattoo, a tattoo that I know well, for I designed it. I step closer, checking my surroundings before standing over her body. I lift the shirt and pull the pants down slightly, seeing the Wonder Woman insignia in the center of the Bat symbol. I start to look at the woman's face when I hear a baby gurgle. I turn my head, seeing a baby boy who looks like me, awake in a bassinet. I turn back to the woman before me, brushing her hair away from her face.

"Babe?"


	3. Chapter 3

**Ranger's POV**

 **At St. Francis**

I waited for her to wake up, to see her beautiful blue eyes, but her eyes never opened. I don't know how long I stood there, looking from my woman to my child, but soon Bobby was behind me.

"Ranger, is she alive? Someone tipped them off that we were coming. The other women are all dead. Ranger? Ranger? Answer me."

Bobby was now standing beside me, looking at the woman lying on my bed. "Bomber? It can't be; can it?"

"It's Stephanie; she's alive." My words seemed to snap Bobby out of his momentary trance, and he immediately went into the medic mode. He started to assess her vitals, then reports. "We need a bus, and we need it fast. Her pulse is weak. She might not make it."

That was all I needed to hear to snap me out of my shocked state. "Babe, stay with me, don't leave me now that I finally found you again. Please, Babe, open your eyes. I need to see your beautiful blue eyes. Please, mi amor, mi corazón, Querida. I love you, Babe."

The paramedics come rushing in while Bobby tells them what he knows. They quickly run a line in Steph's arm before taking her out on a stretcher. "How's the baby?" One of them asks.

I quickly move to the bassinet, picking up the child, my son. There is no question that he is our child. He has my hair and skin tone, with Stephanie's eyes and lips. "He seems fine, alert and happy, though he may be hungry from the way he's sucking on his hand," I tell them.

"Any idea how old he is?" The paramedic asks.

"About five to six months."

The paramedic moves to take my son from my arms, but I don't let him. "I'm riding with him. He's my son."

He looked like he wanted to argue with me, but I guess the look on my face told him otherwise. I followed him out to an ambulance, where I got in the back as they placed my son in a bassinet for transport to the hospital. I hold his hand, staring into his blue eyes, trying to memorize everything about him. "Hola mi hijo. Yo soy tu padre. Te queiro mucho, mi hijo." (Hello, my son. I am your father. I love you a lot, my son.)

Once we arrive at St. Francis, they take my son from me so that they can examine him. Until they prove that I'm his father, I can't be with him. I look for Bobby, finding him standing in the corridor. "How's Stephanie?"

"Stable. We got to Steph in time. They didn't give her as much, or they gave it to her after the others. All the other children are no longer on breast milk; they were toddlers. I think Steph was still nursing. That would explain why she didn't get the dose at the same time as the others."

"When can I see her?"

"Maybe another ten or fifteen minutes. They are finishing Steph's examination. Then, she'll be in a private room. That's your son, right?"

"Yes, that's my son. I don't even know what Stephanie named him. Please tell me they have a lead on who was holding her all this time?"

"Not that I heard. Do you want me to call Tank?" Bobby asks.

"No, I'll call him while I wait to see my Babe."

"I'll go check on your son. They'll give me more information than you."

"Thanks, Bobby." I watch him walk towards pediatrics and pull out my cell phone. I dial Tank's number.

 _"Yo."_

"Report."

 _"How's Bomber?"_

"She's stable, holding her own. She'll be in a room in about fifteen minutes."

 _"Thank God. We discovered some records. You're not going to believe who was behind the whole operation."_

"Are you planning on telling me anytime soon?" I ask Tank impatiently.

 _"Terry Gilman and Homer Ramos."_

"What? How did that happen?"

 _"Not sure, but the feds got plenty of intel on them both. We'll get the answers soon."_

"Thanks. Do they need me?"

 _"No, not yet. I told the feds you'd give your statement on Monday or Tuesday. Agent Bicard is fine with that."_

"Good. Come to the hospital when you're finished." I said before I hung up. I decide to call Julie. I know she'll want to see Stephanie and her brother.

"Carina, Stephanie is alive. She's in St. Francis with your brother."

I hear Julie start to cry on the other end. Then I hear her tell Rachel. Finally, she talks to me, _"I'm leaving for the airport in a few minutes."_

"No, Carina, stay. There's no need for you to cut your visit short. She'll be here for a couple of days. Enjoy your time with your mother."

 _"Are you sure?"_

Yes, Carina, I'm sure."

 _"Send me a picture of my baby brother,"_ Julie responds before she hangs up on me.

"Mr. Manoso, you can see Ms. Plum now." One of the nurses informs me. I follow her to Stephanie's room. The doctor is waiting outside. "She was given a strong sedative, enough to kill her. Fortunately, you found her in time. We were able to pump her stomach and give her fluids. That combined allowed us to flush the drugs quickly from her system. She's a healthy weight and overall is in great physical condition. She's still out of it from the sedatives, but she should wake up within the next few hours."

"Thank you, doctor. I appreciate everything you've done for Stephanie."

I walk into her room, and even though she's looking pale and has wires attached all over, she's breathing and alive — God, how I've missed her. I bring the chair next to her bed, picking up her left hand. I reach in my pocket, pulling out her engagement ring to return it to its rightful home. I kiss her hand, her forehead, her cheeks, and her lips. "Please wake up, Babe, you're safe, you're back with Carlos."

I continue to hold her hand, listening to the beeping of the machines attached to her, all validating her being alive. I didn't even hear Lester and Edna walk in the room.

"Carlos, are you okay?" Edna asks.

I turn to Edna, smiling a genuine smile for the first time in a year. "I am now, Mrs. Mazur."

Edna hugs me and goes to the other side of the bed to hold Stephanie's right hand. "I'm so glad you're alive, Stephanie. Carlos missed you. I missed you. Now, things will be the way they always should have been."

A different doctor walks into the room. "Hello, Mr. Manoso, my name is Dr. Murphy. I'm the Chief of Pediatrics. I have examined the baby found with Ms. Plum. We took a blood sample from Ms. Plum and confirmed that she is, most likely, the mother. You claim that you are the baby's father. We need to draw blood from you for a paternity test. Until we get those results, or Ms. Plum confirms, we cannot permit you to be with the baby until the results come back."

"I understand. Can you take the blood now?" I ask.

"Of course. Peggy." He calls a nurse in who quickly and painlessly takes a sample of my blood.

"How long until we get the results?" I ask.

"I'm putting a rush on the sample and sending it to a friend who owes me a favor. Hopefully, we'll have the results tomorrow, Monday the latest."

"Thank you. Can you at least let me know if my son is healthy?"

"Yes. The baby is healthy, well-fed and strong."

I close my eyes, relief rushing through my veins. "Thank you, Dr. Murphy."

"You're welcome, Mr. Manoso."

Lester and Edna stay with Stephanie and I until 2300, then they go home. Edna's been living in Stephanie's old apartment. Lester will drop her off there. I'll be here with Stephanie until she's ready to come home. A little after midnight, I see her eyes start to flutter.

"Babe, open your eyes. I'm here. Carlos is here. You are safe; I love you, please, Babe, let me see your beautiful blue eyes."

"Carlos? Is it you?" She says, barely above a whisper her voice hoarse from being dry.

"Yes, Querida, it's me," I respond, giving her a little water to drink.

"Where's Miguel?" She asks, panic filling her voice, her body tenses.

"That's our son's name?" I say.

"Yes, where is he?"

"He's safe, in the pediatric ward," I respond. As soon as she hears my words, she sighs in relief, tension leaving her body.

"Oh thank God. His name is Carlos Miguel Manoso, though his birth certificate says differently. They thought he was a white child. When they realized that he was Hispanic, the couple waiting to adopt him didn't want him. They haven't been able to find a buyer, so that's why he's still with me."

I feel ice run through my veins, hearing that they were selling my son to the highest bidder. Thank God the adoption fell through.

"I named him after both of our middle names. I call him Miguel because you're Carlos."

"His name is perfect. The doctor took my blood for a paternity test. When did you give birth?"

"February twelfth."

I feel floored when I hear his birth date. I know that Steph was born on October twelfth, I was born on August twelfth and Julie April twelfth. My Abuela Rosa was June twelfth. Every important person in my life was born on the twelfth day of an even month.

"Carlos, can you call the nurse? I need to pump."

I look at her quizzically. "I'm still nursing Miguel. I either need to feed him, or I need to pump. My breasts hurt."

I call the nurse, and she enters a few minutes later. "Stephanie, it's good to see you awake. You are doing great. Are you in any pain?"

"I need to feed Miguel."

"Stephanie, with the drugs in your system you can't feed him for forty-eight hours. I can get you a pump, but we can't use your milk."

"That's okay. If I don't keep to my schedule, Miguel won't get enough."

"I understand. Give me about ten to fifteen minutes. I have to get a pump from maternity." The nurse replies.

Two minutes later a doctor walks into her room. "Ms. Plum, my name is Dr. Richardson. I have to examine you now that you're awake to make sure everything is okay."

"Okay. No problem."

Dr. Richardson proceeds to check her eyes, her heart, her lungs, her reflexes, and cognitive ability. When he finishes his exam, he addresses us. "Ms. Plum, I'm happy to report that you are in perfect health. I want to keep you here until you have a meal successfully. If you can hold down your food tomorrow, I expect to release you tomorrow night."

"Thank you, Doctor."

"For now, my dear, get some rest. You are very lucky."

"I know I am."

Dr. Richardson leaves, and the nurse comes back with a pump on wheels. Stephanie proceeds to take all the pieces and expertly places them on her breasts before she starts the pump. I'm horrified at seeing some strange machine sucking milk out of her while being turned on at the same time. After about half an hour, Stephanie seems satisfied and turns the machine off. She has two bottles filled with her breast milk.

"It's a shame I have to waste all this milk. I hope Miguel is eating the formula from the bottle. He's not a big fan of the bottle."

"Babe, what happened? Do you want to talk about it now?"

"No, Carlos, not tonight. I'm tired. Can we talk about it in the morning?"

"Of course querida. I love you, Babe."

"I love you too, Carlos."

I watch as her eyes start to close, and within minutes she's asleep. I hold on to her hand as I lean my head back and close my eyes. I know I won't sleep soundly, but I need to get a few hours to rejuvenate myself.

 **Tuesday Morning**

Sunday afternoon, before we left the hospital, we received the results of the paternity test. Carlos Miguel Manoso is officially and legally my son. A new birth certificate is drawn up for him, listing both Stephanie and I as his parents. I'm overjoyed to have my Babe and my son with me. We arrived at Haywood a little past 1600, to a welcome home party for Stephanie and Miguel. We stayed with my men until 1800, when they finally allowed us to go up to seven. I spend the rest of the night making love to Stephanie in between taking care of Miguel. Monday was spent in the same fashion, rekindling our love for each other and spending time with our child.

Today is back to reality for both Stephanie and I. Julie will arrive this morning from Miami, and today I will find out what happened to Stephanie this last year. Miguel wakes us up at 0530, and I help Stephanie change him. She can nurse him again, so I sit with her in the living room, watching my son feed off my Babe. Once he's finished with his milk, I feed him his oatmeal and carrots. I insist on giving him vegetables instead of fruit, hoping to curtail his sweet tooth. Stephanie rolls her eyes. Ella made his baby food, no jar or processed food for my son. At 0800, we head down to five with Miguel. My men all pause, happy to see us together again.

We enter the large conference room on five, to see Agent Bicard and Detective Morelli already waiting. Stephanie sees Morelli, and I feel her entire body tense. We have Miguel in his baby carrier, which I immediately hand off to Lester.

"Babe, are you okay?" I ask her softly.

"Yes, I'm fine." She replies. I look in her eyes, and I see that she's not fine, but wants to push forward. I won't stand in her way.

"Stephanie, that is Agent Bicard with the FBI. You know Morelli. We are waiting for a few more people." I tell her.

"Cupcake, how are you?"

"Fine."

Morelli walks over to hug Stephanie, but she holds up her hand. "No, please don't come any closer."

He looks confused, but stops, returning to his seat. As he sits, he notices the ring on her finger. "You're engaged?"

"I've been engaged to Carlos for the last fifteen months." She responds, her voice filled with venom. I wonder what Morelli did to piss her off. Miguel wakes and starts fussing. Stephanie looks at our angel, before saying, "he's hungry."

"Babe, let me change him while you get ready."

I take Miguel out of the car seat and bring him to my office where I quickly change his diaper. I explain to him what I'm doing in Spanish. He listens to me, laughing. I told Stephanie that I wanted Miguel to speak Spanish as well as English. She agreed. I then told her that I would only speak to Miguel in Spanish, so he will learn to differentiate between the languages. I also told her that Lester, Hector, and Ella would also only use Spanish. She is fine with it and asked us to teach her Spanish as well. I can't wait until she can understand my native tongue. I find that I can express my emotions and feelings better in Spanish. Once I have Miguel changed, I walk back to the conference room. Stephanie has her nursing cape on and takes Miguel from me. She places him under the cape before adjusting her shirt discretely for him to eat. All too soon I hear him drinking his milk from his mother. I can't help but feel jealous of my son right now.

I look at Agent Bicard who seems to be unphased by Steph's nursing, but Morelli is uncomfortable. "Must you feed him in front of us, Cupcake."

Stephanie closes her eyes, trying to calm herself down before responding. "First of all, Joe, do NOT call me Cupcake. Secondly, feeding my child is a natural act. Deal with it. How do you think you ate when you were an infant?"

Agent Bicard chuckled. "My wife told off quite a few people when she was nursing our children. I never saw an issue with it, especially when the mother was being discrete, like you. Do whatever you need to do for your son. It doesn't bother me."

I could see steam rising from Morelli's head, but he wisely kept his mouth shut. About ten minutes later, the rest of the team arrives, and Miguel finishes eating about five minutes later. Then, Julie comes running into the room. "Stephanie! You're home! Where's my brother?" She asks.

"Hi, Julie. I missed you. I was thrilled when your father said you were living with us. Here is your brother, Carlos Miguel."

"Hola mi hermanito. Soy tu hermana mayor, Julie. Vamos a divertirnos mucho juntos. Estoy tan feliz de finalmente conocerte. Te amo, Miguel." She says. (Hello, my baby brother. I'm your big sister Julie. We are going to have fun together. I'm so happy to be finally meeting you. I love you, Miguel.)

"Can I watch him?"

"Of course, Julie," Steph responds.

"Yay! I have some books to read to him. I know he'll love them." She replies.

"Carina, I'll help you bring him into my office. You can stay there with him. If you need us, you know where to find us." I tell her as I pick up the car seat and follow Julie out of the conference room. As we reach my office the elevator doors open and Sofia steps out. Shit. I forgot all about Sofia. I haven't called her or spoken to her since I found Stephanie.

"Carlos," she purrs, "Is that Mariela's baby? Is she visiting?"

Julie and I share a dark look; then I give the car seat to Junior who follows Julie into my office before leaving her there with Miguel. I take Sofia into the small conference room, jamming the cameras.

"Sofia, that's my son, Carlos Miguel Manoso."

"You have a son?"

"Yes. On Saturday, when we raided the warehouse, I found Stephanie. Someone staged Stephanie's death. She's been alive for the last year, held captive. It was sheer luck that I found her. If we had waited another day, she would have been gone, along with Miguel. As it was, she almost died. Whoever had her drugged her, enough to kill her, except we arrived in time to save her. The other women we found at the warehouse weren't as lucky, but the children are all fine. I'm sorry I didn't call you. I am afraid that it is over between us. Stephanie is back. We have a child together, and I love her. I never stopped loving her. She is my fiancé, and we will be getting married soon. I never meant to hurt you, Sofia."

I watch as disappoint settles over her features. "I understand, Carlos. I knew that I didn't have your whole heart. I'm glad you found Stephanie. I wish you nothing but luck and health. I want to meet her one day, but not for a while. I wish things could have been different."

"Sofia, I was planning on proposing Saturday night. I wanted us to be together."

"I know. I'm glad you didn't propose to me. It leaves you free to be with the woman you love. Carlos, there are no hard feelings. I hope we can continue to be friends."

"We will be. Thank you for your understanding." I kiss her on her forehead, then escort her to the elevators, where Manny will escort her out of the building. I told Stephanie about Sofia. She understood about us and held no hard feelings. I take a deep breath and head into the conference.

"Okay. Let's get this party started." I say.

"Ms. Plum, what happened on the day you disappeared?"


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: All things familiar belong to Ms. Evanovich. I make no money.**

 **Chapter 4**

 **Sofia's POV**

That fucking Cuban bastard. I can't believe Carlos threw me away like yesterday's garbage. The bitch returns, and now I'm nobody. When she disappeared last year, who consoled him, loved him, gave him release? Stephanie? No, me! She's back, and now he's with his son. Ugh. I don't mind the kid I'd gladly raise that kid like mine, but the bitch has to go, again. They promised me she'd be taken care of, never to be with Carlos again.

Carlos has been my man since I was sixteen. That was the first time we made love. Carlos was nineteen. Celia threw an amazing Halloween party. I dressed as a sexy cheerleader, and Carlos dressed in Army fatigues. He looked amazingly yummy. I flirted with him all night long, touching him whenever I could, rubbing some part of my body against his dick, feeling him grow underneath his pants. After about two hours of fondling and flirting, he brought me to his room.

 ** _Flashback_**

 _He closed the door to his room and locked it. He looked me in the eye after scanning my body from head to toes. "Are you sure you want to do this, Sofia because there's no turning back. I want you to understand; if we have sex right now, emotionally, it doesn't mean anything. We are not a couple; we are not dating; we are nothing more than what we were yesterday. You want a release, so do I. I won't be calling in the future."_

 _I gulped, realizing that I am a one-night stand. I can handle that. I'm not ready for a relationship. I want to fuck Carlos. I've heard that he's amazing, and I want my first time to be with someone who knows what he's doing. I nod my head, giving him consent._

 _"_ _Are you a virgin, Sofia?"_

 _"_ _Why do you want to know?"_

 _"_ _If you are, I need to go slower not to hurt you. It will hurt, but I can make sure that it doesn't hurt too much."_

 _"_ _Oh, yes, I am."_

 _"_ _Okay, Sofia. Follow my lead. If you want to stop at any point, tell me to stop and I will. I won't make you do anything you're not comfortable with doing."_

 _He placed his lips on mine, kissing me, running his tongue along my lips, begging for entrance. I part my lips, and his tongue is inside my mouth, feeling every part of my mouth, and I follow suit. He leaves my mouth, kissing down my neck to my breasts as he kisses them over my top. He stops, pulling my top off, then my plain looking bra. He then kisses my breast, and I feel heat flow through my body. He continues lower, kissing my lower lips. I feel a strange sensation building in my body before I start to tremble._

 _"_ _Let go, Sofia. Don't hold back." Carlos tells me as he continues to lick me and squeeze me. "How did your first orgasm feel?"_

 _"_ _Amazing. Wow. I never knew I could feel those sensations." He smiled at me before kissing up my body. I start to remove his shirt, seeing his muscular chest. He had the start of a six pack and cared about his body. Then, I removed his pants; watching his dick fall out. I swear, I think I whimpered when I saw its size. Are they all that big? I wonder if it will even fit inside me._

 _"_ _Sofia, I'm going to enter you slowly. It's going to hurt a little as your body stretches to accommodate my size. Once I'm fully inside you, it will feel better. Again, if you want me to stop, say the word."_

 _I again nodded my head in consent. He reaches into his end table pulling out a condom. I watch him expertly put it on, leaving a small amount at the end off. I don't question him as to why he left the room in the condom. Carlos seems to know what he's doing._

 _Finally,_ _he rubs his hand along my slit, gathering my juices on his hand as he then rubs and strokes his dick. He sees me looking at him confused. "I'm using your juices to allow me to glide into you more easily."_

 _"_ _Okay," I reply._

 _He starts to bring the tip of his dick to my slit, slowly rubbing it and starting to enter. Little by little he pushes himself in me. He's right, it does hurt a bit, but it also feels wonderful. Before I realize it, he's completely inside me. He's holding himself still, looking in my eyes. "Are you ready, Sofia?"_

 _"_ _Yes, I'm ready." Carlos pumps in and out of me, starting slow. He gradually picks up the pace, and I feel my body building again to the point of orgasm. I see him watching my facial expressions, looking for something in my eyes. When he sees what he's looking for, I feel him reach between us, rubbing me while pumping me. He places his mouth on mine, stifling my scream of pleasure as I feel him change, becoming softer inside me. My heart is racing, and he pulls out of me. He takes a couple of tissues, carefully removing the condom and throwing it away. He goes into his bathroom, and I hear the water running. He comes out, puts his clothes back on._

 _"_ _Sofia, you can use the bathroom to wash up. I'll wait for you to finish; then we'll go back to the party."_

 _I'm too caught up in the moment to say anything else, and I comply, picking up my clothes before heading into the bathroom. I wash my hands and between my legs, noticing a little blood, but I know that's to be expected, as I was a virgin. I put my panties back on with my bra, then my costume. I exit the bathroom. Carlos unlocks his door, holding it open for me. I walk out ahead of him and head back downstairs. No one notices we were missing. When I look at the clock, I see it only took twenty minutes. I go towards the kitchen to get a drink. When I turn, I can't find Carlos anywhere. What did I expect, he said it would mean nothing to him?_

 _I saw him right before I left, about two hours later, in a corner making out with another girl. Ouch, that was cruel. He pushed me out of his bed only to take her to his bed so soon. I guess I did mean nothing to him. I stand on the porch, waiting for my dad or sister to pick me up. I'm hiding in the shadows, not wanting him to see me._

 _"_ _Come on, lover, we can go back to my apartment."_

 _"_ _Are you sure, hermosa?"_

 _"_ _Yes, I'm sure. Tomorrow I head back to UCLA, to my limp dick boyfriend who will, unfortunately, become my husband. I need a bang of a lifetime."_

 _"_ _That I can provide. How many do you want, hermosa?"_

 _"_ _Is three too many?"_

 _"_ _Three is nothing. I can give you five."_

 _"_ _Bring it on, lover."_

 _I watch Carlos kiss the slut, running his hands all over her body. I watch she strokes him through his pants. "We may not make your apartment if you keep that up, and not that I mind fucking in a car, it would be immensely better for you on your bed, or the floor, or the counter."_

 _"_ _Let's go," she replies. After Carlos helps her into the car, he goes to his side. Right before he enters, he notices me watching them. He shrugs his shoulder and gets in without a backward glance._

I knew before we were together that I was a fuck to him, but I made sure that this time, he knew that I was all in, that we were serious, a relationship destined to be permanent. Carlos is the only man who has ever had sex with me. I didn't want anyone but him. Now, he tossed that gift aside. I will have my revenge.

 **Stephanie's POV**

I take a deep breath and focus in on what happened that fateful night, the night when I thought my life was over. "Connie, Lula and I had a girl's night out. I knew I was pregnant, but I wasn't ready to share my pregnancy news with anyone until I told Carlos. I volunteered to be the designated driver, so no one would be suspicious when I didn't drink. Even though I was about three months along, I wasn't showing yet, and could easily hide the bump. At about 1 am, I was tired, ready to call it a night. Connie was ready to go, so we approached Lulu who was dancing with some guy. She said she'd get a ride with him, and we said good night, leaving her behind.

"I dropped Connie off at her house, then went to my apartment. I remember entering my apartment, changing into my sleep attire, then collapsing on my bed. My phone was ringing, waking me up. I thought that it could be Carlos, so I picked up the phone. Instead, it was Lula telling me she needed a ride. I told her I was asleep and to call a cab. She said her wallet got stolen and she had no money. The guy she was dancing with robbed her. I reluctantly got out of bed, threw on jeans, and went to get her. I got out of the car looking for her. When I saw her, she came rushing over to me, as if relieved to see me. Then I felt the jolt and realized I was stunned. I woke up later in that storage box. My leg shackled to the unit so that I couldn't leave.

"Then, my captors came into my 'room.' They told me about my death. They dragged me to the cemetery. I had to watch you bury me. I saw the moment you felt me, Carlos. I hoped that you would realize I was still alive. I kept expecting you to rescue me. I know that you continued to search for clues for a while, but then, you suddenly stopped.

"When I told my captors I was pregnant, they decided to let me have the baby. Upon his birth, they were planning on selling him to a family. Fortunately, he looked too much like you and the couple were bigots, wanting a white child. I was able to keep Miguel with me because they had to find a buyer for him first. They kept me well-fed because then Miguel would be healthy. I knew that if they sold him, it wouldn't be long until my life ended. They told me I would be used for my body, that my only use was to please my master. I kept praying every night that Miguel would stay mine. The morning you found me, they finally got a buyer for Miguel. I fed him, knowing I had only that day left with him. When he went back to sleep, they entered my room, injecting me with something, telling me that I would never see my son again.

"Then, I woke up and saw you, Carlos. I thought I was dreaming at first. Then you told me Miguel was healthy, in the hospital with us. Now, I need to help you nail those bastards."

"Babe, who were they?"

"Terry Gilman, Lula, and some Hispanic chick. She said that it was only a matter of days until she had her man. Then, she was the one who injected me. Saying that I ruined everything, but that all you would find is that you were too late once again."

"What did she look like, Stephanie. Did she ever say her name?"

"No, but she had long, straight dark brown hair that fell to her mid back. The woman's skin is a little lighter than yours, Carlos. She spoke with a slight accent."

I watch as Carlos' blank face drops for a moment. I think he knows who it is. "Carlos, what's wrong?"

He takes my hand and leads me out of the conference room into his office. I see everyone else exchange a dark look. Once in his office, he looks at Julie. "Has anyone been in here?"

"No, only Junior when he helped me with Miguel's carrier and Ella, asking if I needed anything."

"We need to bring Miguel up to seven. Julie, stay there with him. Steph, take Miguel."

I pick up Miguel, cradling him in my arms as Julie takes the diaper bag. Carlos grabs the car seat. We quickly move to the elevator then into our apartment.

I settle Miguel in his bassinet. The furniture for the nursery is arriving tomorrow and the guys already cleared out the guest bedroom. When Julie came to live with Carlos, he added two rooms onto the apartment. One for Julie and one for Rachel if she ever came with Julie. Now, the second room would be Miguel's room.

"Babe, I think the third person is Sofia. Here is her picture."

I stare at the picture in front of me and start shaking involuntarily. "That woman was the cruelest, always making digs on Miguel, how he would make the perfect baby for her. She was there, getting ready to take Miguel, but her phone rang. She yelled "fuck" into the phone then ran out of the room. I think someone spooked her or told her you were almost there. How did you know Sofia?"

Carlos sighs, then we leave the apartment. We go onto the roof, where there is a garden. We sit on the bench. "Sofia has been friends with my sister Celia since they were in grade school. When I was nineteen, my sisters threw a huge Halloween party. My parents were in Miami visiting schools with my brother Marco. They knew about the party and approved, as long as we didn't have alcohol. I had to be there as a chaperone/bouncer. I was starting basic training a few months later, and could easily keep everyone in line, especially any potential troublemakers. We followed their wishes and kept it alcohol-free. Sofia kept flirting with me, all night. She would rub against me, stand near me, I could tell she wanted me. I caved, bringing her to my room. Once we got there, I told her, more nicely, that she was a one-night stand; that she didn't mean anything to me. She agreed to the terms. I then asked her if she was a virgin, which she said she was. Normally, I didn't fuck virgins, but she was determined. I tried to discourage her but to no avail. Then again, I was a horny 19-year-old, so I was up to fuck her. I think she was about sixteen or seventeen. I gave her an orgasm with my mouth and hand, hoping that she would be satisfied with third base, but she wanted the homeroom. I double checked before entering her. I fucked her; then once I calmed down, I washed up in my bathroom. I advised her to do the same. Once we were both freshened up, we left my room. I ditched her immediately, finding older girls to flirt with and avoided her. I hooked up with another girl, one my age; we were going to her place. I saw Sofia waiting on the porch to be picked up. I dismissed her and went with the other girl. The second girl, I think her name was Ana or Ali or something like that, asked me to give her three orgasms. I promised her five. I delivered it. I was cocky, even back then, but she wasn't a virgin and knew how to give pleasure back. I didn't think about Sofia until I bumped into her at Celia's daughter's Baptism. I wasn't planning on going, but Julie talked me into going.

"Sofia seemed so supportive of me, helping with my grief. But now that I think about it, she kept telling me to move on, to forget you, that you were dead. She told me I had to live my life. I stopped looking for you when I met her. I decided, after talking to your grandmother, that I needed to give her a chance, that I needed to honor you by allowing myself to love again. I love her, but much like you love Morelli. She never had my heart. I figured that she would be the best I would get and that I should marry her to honor your memory. Now I see that she was manipulating me. I never felt a hundred percent comfortable around her. I refused to allow her on seven, nor did I give her access to my building. She needed to be buzzed in and escorted whenever she came here. I would only go to her apartment, but I never stayed the night, even when we had sex. And no, I never made love to her. You are the only woman to have that distinction. I used Julie as my reason for keeping her out of the penthouse and for not staying the night. She bought that excuse. I knew, once I proposed that I'd have to let her in, but I decided that we would get an apartment somewhere else together. I would never let her up on seven, where your memory lived. She got angry when she saw I kept a picture of you in my office, even after we started dating. It was one with me, you, and Julie at her quinceanera. I loved how Julie looked, and you looked happy. I wanted to keep that memory at the surface. But she was jealous. I moved the picture to my office on seven and changed it to a picture of Julie and I together.

"I know she tried to get me to give her a nickname, but I never did. She was always Sofia. Most of the women I fucked I called hermosa, Beautiful. A few times, she heard me refer to you as my Babe, and I know she was angry. Dios, how could I be so stupid to let her into my life."

"Carlos, you thought I was dead. You had a funeral for me. You thought you buried me. I understand."

"But I knew, deep down, that you were still alive. I knew that I felt you at the cemetery. Dios, Babe, I'm sorry I gave up on you."

"You didn't. You found me, and you found Miguel. Now we are here together, the family that we always should've been."

I lean up and kiss Carlos. I want much more. But I know now is not the time. Tonight we will reunite completely. I'll ask Julie to take care of Miguel. I know she will. We can have them stay with Ella tonight. I'll pump enough milk to get Miguel through tonight; then I'll show Carlos how much I love him, how I don't blame him, how I still want him.

"Let's go back downstairs and nail those cunts," I say.

"But where does Homer Ramos fit into this mess?"

"He provides transport, but he thinks he's transporting antiques. He doesn't know. Let me contact Alexander. I think we can use him to help us."

"Good idea, Babe. I love you."

"I love you too, Carlos."


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: All things familiar belong to Ms. Evanovich. I make no money.**

 **Ranger's POV**

We head back down to the conference room on five. I feel better telling Stephanie about Sofia, and how I was stupid. She knew we were dating, knew I was planning to propose, but she didn't know our history. I wonder how much that night played into the plan to get Stephanie. Once we hit five, everyone looks up at us, wondering where we disappeared. Morelli was the first one to pass a comment.

"What's a matter, Manoso, you can't pleasure her anymore?"

Before I could respond, Stephanie walks over to Morelli and slaps him hard across the face; once, then twice, saying "snap out of it."

Agent Bicard laughed, saying how that was his wife's favorite scene in Moonstruck when Cher slaps Nicholas Cage's character. I'm glad she's amusing him.

"Morelli, I don't know what your fucking problem is, you're not the one who lost a year of their life. Why are you trying to hurt me? What did I fucking do to you?"

"You don't know what you did, Cupcake? You went and had HIS baby. You, who always claimed that you didn't want kids, a family, a home, went ahead and allowed HIM to impregnate you. Now, you are here, with your son, flaunting it in my face. How can you be so fucking cruel?"

I could tell that Stephanie was shocked by his accusation. But she held her emotions in check. "Morelli, we didn't plan on having a family. It wasn't in the plans for us. It happened, even though we tried to avoid it from happening. But once I discovered I was pregnant, I couldn't take it back. We conceived our child from the expression of our love for each other. I'm sorry I couldn't be what you want, but I am never going to be a Burg housewife. I'll be back to work soon, here at Rangeman, with my family. I'm sure Ella and the guys will be babysitting Miguel. I won't be cooking dinner but relying on Ella to have that ready for us. We haven't figured out the particulars, but we'll make it work. You would force me to be a stay-at-home mom. Cooking and cleaning the house all day long, raising the children, my world revolving around the PTA and other activities. That will never be me. I don't know why you can't be happy for me. I'm sure that there is a woman out there who wants what you want. If you open your heart, you'll find her, but you know that isn't me. Please stop trying to hurt me."

I watch as Morelli's posture changes; he finally hears what Stephanie is saying to him. He looks up at her, then says, "I'm sorry, Stephanie. It's just I've always pictured myself growing old with you for as long as I could remember. I know that what you're saying is true; it'll take me some time to get it into my heart. Can we call a truce?"

"Fine. Now, can we get back to business?" Steph says.

"The three women identified are Terry Gilman, Lula Knight, and Sofia Caballo. Homer Ramos provides the means to transport the goods, though he believes he's transporting antiques, not women and children. It's clear Sofia's motive was to get rid of Stephanie so she could have me, but I'm not sure why Terry and Lula went along." I state.

"Lula is extremely jealous of Stephanie. That much was obvious during our brief relationship. She hated that Stephanie always said that she didn't want children when she was perfectly capable of having children while Lula will never be able to reproduce after the Ramirez incident. She hated how you, Ranger, would always give her cars and jobs when she needed them. She hated that Steph would go and mooch food off her parents when she was low on funds. Lula felt that everything came too easily for Stephanie, while she needed to work hard to get what she had, what she managed to accumulate. That is why she would abandon Steph so much and pull her gun so often. She enjoyed Steph making a fool of herself because it made her feel better, more important. From talking to Connie recently, I discovered that Lula is planning on moving to New Orleans, having saved a bunch of money. Several working girls have disappeared lately, all Hispanic or White. I think Lula was luring the women. Claim she'd get them off the street but abducting them for Terry. Her spending has increased, so she had a greater income though she was still working for Vinnie." Tank stated.

"Terry was fed up with you and me Steph. She wanted me to commit to her, to throw away my career to marry her. I finally broke off our affair around the same time as we broke up. I concluded that my running to Terry was no different than you running to Manoso. He poached, but so did she; we were unfaithful to each other but kept denying it because we were "off" when we would do the deed. When you moved in with Ranger, Terry came sauntering to my house, thinking I would reconsider my stance. When I told her no, she assumed it was because I was still hung up on you. I guess she was right, but that would most likely be her motive. Then, about six months ago, we started sleeping together again. She was hinting at wanting to start a family, but I always pushed back. I don't want to be a part of her Family. As far as the trafficking of women and kids, I know her Uncle Vito would not sanction it, so that means she's gone rogue." Joe informed us.

"How does Ramos fit into this mess?" Agent Bicard questioned once again.

"He's the delivery man. I'm sure he gets a nice cut, but I believe that once I was no longer needed to keep Miguel healthy, I would belong to him." Steph tells us.

Agent Bicard asks, "can we trust Alexander Ramos then? Don't you think he knew what Homer was doing?"

"Alexander Ramos and I have an interesting relationship. I met him when his sons were drugging him, trying to take him out of the picture. He proposed, which I rejected. My gut is telling me that if I call him and rat out Homer, he'll be the ally we need to stop the ring."

"Call him, Babe."

I watch her take a deep breath, then dial his number from the phone in the center of the table. The rest of the room remains quiet as Stephanie does her magic. We are recording the call, but it will not be on speakerphone.

"Hello, Alexander. It's Stephanie Plum." She pauses, "I'm doing well. My son is here with me; that's all that matters." Pause again. "Alexander, do you know what business Homer has with Theresa Gilman?" "No, Alexander, I assure you they are working together." "Yes, I know this for a fact." "Well, Homer is shipping goods for Terry. He thinks he's shipping antiques, but the cargo is women and children." "What do you mean?" "When?" "How many?" "I think I was to be his next one." "Okay, let me check."

"Ranger, Alexander would like to meet with you and me, face to face. He had no idea, and I believe him."

"Tell him two hours, here. He can have his guards, but they must be unarmed. I'll scramble all the camera feeds. I'm not letting you out of this building until we get them." I tell Steph.

"Alexander, can you please come to meet with us at the Rangeman headquarters? Not many people know that I'm alive and until Terry is behind bars, I'm afraid to leave the building. I don't want my son growing up without me." "Yes, you can bring your guards but no weapons, and we will not be taping you." "Thank you, Alexander. See you soon."

"Alexander Ramos agreed to meet with us, Carlos. He didn't know that Homer is shipping for Terry. He's appalled, but it explains the mistresses that Homer has had recently. All young, all seem to appear out of nowhere, and all are now dead. They also all had brown curly hair and blue eyes."

I feel my blood run cold at how close my Babe was to die at the hands of Homer Ramos who would treat it as revenge against me. I decided to bring Manny into the operation. I send him a text message. Three minutes later, there's a knock on the door before Manny enters.

"Manny, how is your relationship with your Uncle Alexander?" I ask.

"We get along fine, as long as I don't bring up the Family business, which I don't. He respected my wishes to join the military and then work for you. He is one of the only members of my family who supported my decision from the get-go."

"What about your relationship with your cousin, Homer?"

"Huh, the prick. I have no use for Homer, and he feels the same way about me. He thinks I'm a disgrace to the Family, choosing to put my life on the line for strangers, but not for my blood. We don't get along. As much as Theios Alex runs a business of crime, he sticks to guns because it has the least direct negative impact on society. Drugs hurt the person who he sells them to; gambling can destroy an innocent family. They sell the guns to gang bangers, those who live life with one foot already in the grave, to begin with, therefore, not a loss to society. I know it's a warped way to justify what he does, but it helps Theios Alex to sleep at night."

"Alexander is coming here to meet with us regarding Homer's involvement in Steph's abduction, which is an indirect involvement, as far as we know. I would like for you to be in the room, in the meeting. I normally keep you away from anything associated with your uncle, but I feel you could be an asset. If he asks you to leave, or if you are uncomfortable with the conversation, you are free to leave at any time." I tell Manny.

"I'll be there, Ranger. Anything for Wifey." He says as he smiles at my Babe. She gets up to hug Manny.

"Thank you. I know it will be hard for you."

"Not as hard as it was when I thought you were dead for these last twelve months." He replies, kissing her forehead.

My phone rings. I glance at the caller ID and pick up immediately. "Everything okay, Carina?"

"Come on down." I hang up.

"Babe, Julie's on her way down. Miguel's hungry."

I watch as she winces before she responds, "I knew that was her. Miguel doesn't mess around when it comes to his food."

"How did you know? There aren't any clocks in here." I ask.

Steph flushes before responding. "My body reacts when it's time to feed him. Sometimes I only need to hold him for the reaction to happen."

I'm staring at her, confused. Finally, Bobby has pity and answers for her, "Ranger, her body produces milk to match Miguel's needs, so when her breasts are full, she feels a slight pain or discomfort. That is in line with Miguel's feeding schedule."

I watch as she looks at her lap, so embarrassed to be having this conversation, yet she has no problems feeding him in front of us. Julie enters the conference room with Miguel and his diaper bag. Stephanie takes her cape and affixes it around her neck. She holds Miguel, gently kissing his forehead, his nose, then his lips before allowing him to feed. He must be hungry because we quickly hear the sounds of his slurping. Stephanie breaks the mood by asking, "what's our game plan?"

"We need to coordinate with Alexander Ramos first, find out what he knows and try to get Homer. There is a good chance that he might flip on the women, claiming ignorance, though I think he knows what he's doing. Then, I can easily get Sofia here. Morelli, it will be up to you to get Terry. Do you think Vito would help you?"

Morelli sighs, then responds, "Uncle Vito and I have an interesting relationship. When I'm not involved with Terry, we get along great. Whenever Terry and I are involved, I become persona non grata. However, I have never infringed upon his business, though I can't see him moving into human trafficking. He's too old school. He prefers gambling, prostitutes, and drugs. He likes to believe he's Vito Corleone."

"That leaves us with Lula," I say, looking at Tank.

"I haven't spoken with her since two months after Little Girl disappeared. Lula didn't understand why we were all upset; she didn't understand why we missed Stephanie. She dared to ask me if I, if I, you know, with Stephanie. Then, Lula went on to ask if any other Rangeman partied with Steph."

I look at my Babe, who is busy switching Miguel to her other breast, when she responds, "Joe, have you been talking to Terry lately? When was the last time you were together, in any capacity?"

"A week ago. Terry needed a date for her cousin Carmine's wedding. I fit the bill."

"How did you leave it off with Sofia when she was here earlier?" Steph asked me.

"We left off fine, at least I thought. But now I question every interaction we had since we started to date. I don't know if I read Sofia correctly ever."

"Lula we should be able to pick up at the bond office. Lester and Cal can go pick up our files when she is there. Connie will help us out when she finds out that I'm alive and that Lula is responsible for my disappearance. She was annoyed when Lula refused to leave that night with us. Joe, you can call Terry, inviting her to one of your family's crazy dinners or birthdays or something. She should reciprocate. Finally, Carlos, you need to call Sofia tomorrow, telling her that you are tired of me, that you never wanted another kid and now you are stuck with a brat who cries all night, a woman who doesn't want you to touch her, and you need an out. Tell Sofia that you will send me down to Miami with Julie so that you can be with her. You aren't ready to be a father yet, and now I want you to cut down on your work. Only work nine to five, take weekends off, be completely off-line at night. Lay it on thick that I've become a demanding bitch. She'll want to believe that about me, she'll want to believe that only she can give you what you want. Then, throw in something about how your son is only half Cuban, that you wish he didn't have your name." Steph planned.

"Babe, you know none of that is true."

"Yes, Carlos, I know that, but Sofia won't. She'll want to believe the illusion that she built in her mind. You shipping me off will only enhance her vision. Hell, send me to Boston instead. Tell her Julie is going back to Miami next month, that you can't have a teenage girl underfoot any longer. If I'm in Boston, then she won't be concerned that you're going to visit me when you go to see Julie, which you will continue to do out of obligation, at least until Julie's emancipation in two years. You want me in Boston, so your men can keep track of me, make sure that I toe the line. Also, you'll be able to keep track of your son without being involved in his life."

"Ms. Plum, would you like a job with the FBI? I've never seen someone throw an operation together so quickly." Agent Bicard asked.

"I'm flattered, but no thank you. I already have a job here." She replies before continuing. "Better yet, have Cal and Hal take care of Lula. She thinks they are both dim and will not count on them to get the jump on her. Have Lester escort me to the airport with Miguel, to visit your family in Miami, getting me out from underfoot. Miguel will stay here with Ella, and Lester and I will leave. We'll both come back to the building, in a different car and wearing a disguise. Lure her here, on your turf. Tell her you to want to show her seven and give her a key fob for your building. She'll be here in a heartbeat. But first, we speak with Alexander Ramos."

I watch as Steph adjusts her shirt and moves Miguel, who is full. I take my son and the burp cloth from Stephanie, holding him while rubbing his back. He burps, with his eyes looking around the room. I murmur to him in Spanish, "don't worry, my little son; I won't let anyone hurt you or Mommy again. I love you; my son."

I'm thankful Morelli doesn't speak Spanish, or I might have had to hand in my badass card, but I don't care. I have my son in my arms; nothing right now is more important than him, his mother, and his sister — my family. I see Julie whisper in Stephanie's ear, translating what I said for her benefit. Steph then mumbles, "I need to learn Spanish."

We discuss our options for talking with Alexander Ramos and flesh out our conversation when Binkie in the control room informs us that he is here. I send Manny to meet with Ramos and his guards. Julie takes Miguel from us, who is now sleeping in my arms. She'll bring him to Ella's apartment, where I want them both to stay until everyone is behind bars. With a kiss to Miguel's forehead from Stephanie and I, we head downstairs. Showtime.


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: All things familiar belong to Ms. Evanovich. I make no money.**

 **Chapter 6**

 **Alexander Ramos' POV**

I was surprised when I picked up my phone to hear Stephanie Plum on the other end. I thought she was dead. I'm glad that she's not. Out of the many people I have met, she is the only honest and genuine person I know. She took a chance on helping me when Ranger told her to stay away. She helped me escape my stupid sons. It seems that she is once again helping me.

I thought that Homer had learned his lesson after he tried to frame Ranger for killing him, but he is too stupid for his good. How I wish Manny were interested in the Family business. I wouldn't need to worry about my stupid, reckless sons. Now, Ranger and Stephanie want my help. If it were Ranger calling, I'd tell him no. I wouldn't go against my Family for him, but for the enchanting Ms. Plum, I'd do anything. I offered to make her my wife, but she wisely declined. Now, she has a son with Manoso. Lucky bastard. I am curious as to how they know of Homer's involvement. I only hope, for his sake, that it is a lie. If there is any truth to what they say, I will kill my son with my own hands, no exile to Greece for Homer.

My car pulls up to the Rangeman garage. We are quickly buzzed in and directed to a spot close to the entrance. My guards open the door for me. I tell Dimitrios to come with, while Theo and Efstratios wait by the car. I order Dimitrios to keep his weapons in the car. He reluctantly leaves his guns and knives behind. We walk towards the lobby, where my nephew, Manny, is waiting.

"Theios Alex, Stephanie and Ranger thank you for coming here on such short notice." He says to me after we hug and kiss.

"For Stephanie, I'd do almost anything." I honestly inform him.

"Yes, Wifey is special."

"Wifey, Manny? Is she not betrothed to Manoso?"

"Sorry, Theios, but it's my nickname for her. When Scrog shot me, she snuck into the hospital, claiming to be my wife to find out how I was. Since then, I call her 'Wifey' out of respect and love. Ranger knows I'm not hitting on his woman."

"Good. As long as Steph doesn't mind." I respond to my wayward nephew. As much as I respect Manoso, I wouldn't put it past him to make someone disappear if they encroach on his territory. Manny shows me to a conference room, free of low windows and no cameras. I nod to Dimitrios to perform a sweep. He nods that the room is clean.

"I'm glad you see that you're a man of your word, Ranger," I state as I see him enter the room. Stephanie follows behind him, looking well for being a captive for twelve months. I walk over to her, taking her hands in mine, kissing the back of each of hands.

"Motherhood suits you, agpaite mou. If Ranger ever gives you a hard time, you know you can come to me." (my dear)

"I think my brothers here will take care of him before I could even lift the phone." She says, smiling at Manny, Tank, and Lester. I see their expressions, their possessive stances, she is part of them, one of them. They will lay down their lives to protect her. She is safe here, and alas, I have no chance.

"What do you know about my son's business, Manoso?" I ask, ready to get down to business.

"Babe." He says, deflecting the lead to Stephanie.

"While I was captive, I heard Terry Gilman and Homer talking. I heard her arrange for him to ship the goods out, for delivery within a week, typically across the Atlantic. He openly referred to the goods as antiques, but now that I think about it, I think he knew that he was shipping people. He would ask for his goods, most pointedly, when will his order be fulfilled. Terry kept hedging, saying they needed a buyer for the smaller piece. They were hoping to find one soon. Based on our conversation, I think I was his special order."

"I think you're right, agpaite mou. Homer was angry that you bested him. He was even angrier that you were under first Manoso's protection, then mine. He knew that as long as I am breathing, he cannot touch you. But, if the world thought you dead, he'd be free to try to take you as his property. I assume the smaller piece refers to your son."

"Yes. The family that originally wanted Miguel backed out when they saw he looked more Cuban than American. He was too dark for them. That's the only reason why I have my son with me today. I had a shackle around my ankle, securing me to my room. It was soldered on, so there was no way for me to escape. They chained me to my room. If I acted out or tried to escape, they would put Miguel out of my reach. Letting him cry when he was hungry, would not allow me to feed him or change him. After the first time, I learned to obey. I didn't want my innocent son hurt by their actions."

"Stephanie, I am angered that my son went against my orders. I will take care of him, I promise you. There will be no exile in Greece for Homer this time. I should have killed him after the incident with Ranger, but I let my love for my child cloud my judgment. No more. This time, I will make sure that he will never disobey a command from me again. Manny, I'm sorry you are privy to this information, but I ask that you do not share it with your father. He doesn't understand the Family."

"No, Theios, I won't share anything."

"Stephanie, I wish you years of happiness and health. If you need anything, please don't hesitate to contact me. Manoso, if you ever make this incredible woman unhappy, I will kill you. No one will ever find your body."

"I won't, Sir. I can't survive without her." He answers honestly. "You may hear a rumor that I'm shipping her and Miguel off to Miami and then Boston, that I am kicking her out. It is part of our plan. It is not happening."

"Good. I will keep your secret. I'll send you whatever I find out to help you save whoever you can. Good luck, Ranger, Stephanie."

With that, I rise and leave the conference room. I enter my car, close my eyes, give the order to capture and subsequently kill my son after I have a chat with him.

 **Sofia's POV**

I need to get Carlos back. I need to make him see that having a baby is not what he wants. I mean, that man is sex walking, and he has been since we were teenagers. He has a high libido. There won't be time for his foreplay with a baby crying all the time. He'll be frustrated and sexually dissatisfied. Then he'll come running back to me. I'm sure that she can't keep up with his sex drive, either. I mean, that man can go for hours, repeatedly. The day he came here early, we made love over ten times in ten hours. We were supposed to go to a barbeque at a friend's, but I convinced him to stay in with me. Even when he decided that it was time to leave, he was still semi-hard. No, that woman can't give him what he wants and needs.

Now, how do I get back into his life? He never gave me access to his building, citing "security issues, and insurance," but I heard from Lula that Steph had full access. Then again, she did work for him. I sigh. What can I do? Suddenly, the ringing of my cell phone breaks me out of my musings.

"Hello," I answer.

"Hello, hermosa Sofia," I hear Carlos say on the other end. He's calling me hermosa, finally!

"Carlos," I reply in my best sex kitten voice, "what do I owe this pleasure?"

"Sofia, I need you to come to Rangeman. I just sent Stephanie and the kid to Miami with Julie. I can't deal with the kid's constant crying. Steph is practically ignoring me. I swear, the moment I start to kiss her, if she hears him sneeze, she's running into his room. I have needs, and she's not able to meet them. What did I ever see in her before?"

"My love, what do you mean? She is your fiancé."

"Not anymore. I'm setting Steph up with an apartment in Boston. It won't be ready for three weeks, so I have her in my apartment in Miami for now. Stephanie wasn't supposed to get pregnant. Damn it; we took precautions against that. She fucking tricked me. She knew I didn't want any more children."

"My love, stop worrying, everything will be fine. Maybe she'll find someone like Rachel did, who will adopt the brat and then you'll be free."

"You're right, hermosa. Can you come to Rangeman now? I want to give you a key fob, and I'll show you seven."

Seven! He's going to take me to his penthouse. Perfect. Now I know that I finally have him as mine. "Of course. Give me a half hour to get ready for you, my love."

"Don't take too much longer. I'm barely holding my control." He said before hanging up.

I run up to my room and look in my closet. I find a red dress hanging in the corner. Perfect. The dress has a corset style bodice, so I do not need a bra. It will hold my breasts high and proud. It is form fitting, barely covering my ass. I decide to put on a pair of lacey thong panties and four-inch FMPs. My hair is perfect down, and I don't need makeup, I add a little liner and red lipstick that matches my dress. If he's desperate, then I want to give him easy access. Carlos in control in amazing, I can only imagine how he feels when he's out of control.

I grab my keys, keychain wallet with my ID, one credit card and a twenty dollar bill. I don't need anything else. I'm about to take my cell phone, but I decide that I don't want any interruptions. Carlos is a sex God, and I don't want anything disturbing our rendezvous.

I get into my car, my 2017 red Impala. I drive to Haywood, excitement building at finally laying claim to my man, the man who was mine for the last fifteen years. I arrive at the building and whoever is in the lobby opens the gate for me. I enter, parking in my spot, the first visitor's spot. I walk across the garage where one of his guys, I think Hector, is waiting to take me to Carlos.

"Miss Caballo, Mr. Manoso asked us to bring you to his office to wait." He tells me in Spanish.

"That's fine," I reply. Maybe I'll have Carlos take me on his desk first. The elevator opens on five, and I see the heads of the men on duty turn towards me. I'm glad to see I have that effect on them. I'm sure they are all picturing getting my dress off, but that's only for Carlos. Hector walks me to Carlos' office and knocks twice. Then he opens the door after Carlos bellows, "Open."

 **Ranger's POV**

I made the call. I had to keep from losing my cool. I didn't want to say those disgusting things about Stephanie and Miguel, but I knew I had to so that I could protect them. Stephanie was sitting on my lap, reassuring me that she was fine, that she knew that I didn't mean anything that I said. It still killed me, though. Once I hung up, I asked everyone to leave the conference room, except Steph. I needed a few minutes to compose myself. She already left the building with Lester, and they returned through our secret entrance, so there is none the wiser outside of the building. Once the door closed, I scramble the cameras and kiss Stephanie. She shifts so that she's straddling me and I feel the dampness between her legs through her yoga pants — Dios, what this woman does to me. I can't help running my hands under her shirt, feeling her perfect breasts. I want her, but I won't take her here, like this. She deserves to be worshipped, every time. She rises off me, pushing her pants down along with her panties, taking them off one leg before sitting on the table in front of me.

"I need you, Carlos, please."

Gracias Dios the room is soundproofed. I mean, how can I turn down an invitation like that? I rise and undo my cargos, so I'm standing between her legs. "I don't want to hurt you, Querida."

"Carlos, fuck me already. You can never hurt me."

I push my throbbing cock into her wet pussy in one motion. I feel her jump of pain and pleasure and start to pump into her wet folds. I try going slow, but she has her legs wrapped around me, pushing me faster. I decide to go with it and let my control go. I lift her shirt, kissing her sensitive breasts lightly, knowing that too much stimulation hurts her.

"Oh God, Carlos, I'm close," she whispers. I kiss that spot where her neck meets her shoulder while reaching my hand between us. With a few strokes on her sensitive clit, she is falling over, and I follow her. I swallow her cries of pleasure with my mouth, kissing her senseless.

Once we catch our breath, I help her to sit up. "Thank you, Carlos. I needed to feel you."

"Me too, Querida. But it wasn't enough. Tonight, Querida, tonight we'll not need to rush." I kiss her again, needing to feel her in my arms.

"Carlos, it will be fine. We'll get Sofia. Joe's working on Terry, Lula's the only questions mark. But Connie says she's been coming in regularly. Carlos, how come the Burg grapevine hasn't been broadcasting me being alive?"

"Edna shut it down. She told the busybodies that it wasn't you. She figured she'd give you time to get re-acclimated before having to face the Burg."

I watch as my Babe smiles at her grandmother's deviousness. "When this mess is over, I think we'll need to make a splash."

"Sounds good, Querida."

"I hope it doesn't smell like sex in here."

"Babe, I don't care. I love you. You are my life, Querida. These last twelve months, thinking that you were dead, were the worst in my life. Even with everything I've seen and done on my missions, I never felt so broken and lost. My handler called me for another mission about a month after your death, and they discharged me from active duty. My head wasn't in it. I was being reckless, not caring if I survived or died. I wouldn't have been any good in the field; I would have caused the soldiers under my command too many problems. I was angry when they wouldn't let me go out. I wanted that mission. I wanted to get killed, that way I could be with you. But, thankfully, fate had other plans because you were still alive, and I needed to be here for you and Miguel. I want everyone to see what you both mean to me; I want them to know that I'm all in, for you and Miguel. I got you back, and I'm never letting you go, Babe."

She nuzzles her head against my chest. I know she is trying to keep her tears at bay. When she pulls away, her smile is dazzling. "Let's nail the bitch so we can go upstairs and spend some time with our son before we send him away with Julie to Ella's apartment tonight."

We exit the conference room and see Morelli and Agent Bicard eating lunch. Stephanie grabs a sandwich and a cup of soup; I grab a salad, soup, and two bottles of water. We join Agent Bicard and Morelli at the table.

"What's your plan once Sofia gets here?" Morelli asks.

"We'll we be waiting for her in my office. She'll focus on getting to Carlos, thinking that he is claiming her, she won't notice anyone else in the room. Besides, it will be nice to snap the cuffs on her then throw her into a cell. Let Sofia see how much she likes her freedom taken away from her." Stephanie tells them.

"Damn, Steph, remind me never to get on your bad side," Morelli replied.

"I guess you already forgot about the Buick and the meat truck." She responds with a smile.

I see Agent Bicard look at the two of them questioningly. Finally, Morelli explains. "I was an ass to Stephanie when she was a teenager and to pay me back, she ran me over with her father's Buick, breaking my leg in the process. When I was FTA, I was her first skip. She helped to clear my name, but she also brought me into TPD in the back of a meat truck with two dead bodies. I won't even bring up the time she locked me out of her car in nothing but my boxers. Stephanie can be evil when she wants."

Now it was my turn to be confused, but I know I'll get the story from my Babe later tonight. I guess Morelli wanted some but wasn't prepared with a raincoat, not that I ever needed a raincoat with Steph. We finished our meal with small talk, mostly between Morelli and Steph, who was being filled in on the Burg gossip she missed for the last year.

"Boss, sorry to interrupt, but Miss Caballo is here." Junior states.

"Send Hector down to escort her," I reply. We throw away our garbage and head towards my office. We stop briefly at the monitors to see what she's wearing and brought with her.

"Sofia thinks she's getting lucky," Stephanie states, jealousy evident in her voice. The red dress that Sofia is wearing shows every curve and leaves little to the imagination. I think Hector is the only one on staff right now who is not affected by her appearance. As much as I don't want to, I can't help my cock from taking notice. I am a man. But my heart and my brain are telling my cock that the only action he'll see is with Stephanie and that thought makes him even more awake. We walk into my office, with Stephanie, Morelli, and Agent Bicard standing out of her line of sight, behind the open door. Steph closes the door as I sit behind my desk, pulling some papers in front of me to appear busy. I pick up the phone, pretending to check on Steph's status.

"Has the plane landed yet? Good. Make sure she doesn't come back to Trenton." As I hang up, I hear Hector knock twice. "Come in."

The door opens, and I watch as Sofia saunters into the office. A quick assessment tells me she isn't armed and stupidly, left her phone at home. That's good news for us. She walks to the chairs in front of my desk and sits, crossing her legs, so the skirt of her dress rises further up her legs, allowing me to see the hint of red lace she has on under the dress. I nod to Hector who closes the door.

"My love, what did you do with Ms. Plum?" She asks, excited to hear what happened.

"I sent her to Miami. I don't need her or that brat around. Sofia, with her gone and now Julie back with Rachel, we can move ahead in our relationship. I have here your access to my building. You'll be able to get into the garage, up to five and up to my penthouse on seven with this key fob. In other words, you have access to my personal space. Sofia, marry me?"

I watch as she jumps up, completely unaware that we have company and walks around my desk. Sofia moves to sit in my lap, but she doesn't get the chance.

 **Stephanie's POV**

Ugh! She's disgusting. I can't believe my Carlos fell for her. She is too fucking obvious. Now, she thinks she's going to sit on his lap, get a rise out of my man, I don't fucking think so. I walk behind, seeing red, and Sofia doesn't even sense me. Bitch! As she's about to turn at the corner of Carlos' desk, I grab her wrist and snap the cuff on her wrist. She starts to turn as I grab her other arm and cuff her behind her back.

"Sofia, you will never touch my Carlos again. His talents will be nothing but a memory. You were a convenient fuck for him, back when he was nineteen and again these last few months. You never held his heart. You've never had the pleasure of Carlos making love to you. Let me tell you that it is better than any fuck he can give, and we both know that he is the best. Now, while you are rotting away somewhere, I will be feeling his massive cock inside me, filling me. I will be the one writhing beneath his body as he sets my nerves on fire. I will be the only woman who will ever carry his seed, to bring his children into this world. You tried to take me away from Carlos, but I will never leave him. He's mine, and I'm his. Carlos may have given you his body, but that was it. In the months you've been dating, you have never been in his penthouse. We weren't even dating yet, and he gave me access to his building, his car, and his penthouse. I spent weeks living with Carlos in his penthouse, only as friends. Why didn't he allow you on seven? He didn't let you up there because you would have found my clothes in his closet, my toiletries in his bathroom, and my shampoo in his shower. He didn't want you to taint his memories of me. So, bitch, now you can spend some time in a box and let me know how you like it while Carlos and I spend the rest of the day wrapped around each other."

I take her and push her towards Lester and Tank, who are both stifling a shit-eating grin. Morelli looks amused but also sad; Agent Bicard doesn't know what hit him. Once Tank and Lester remove the skank from Carlos' office, he pulls me on his lap, wrapping his arms around me as my body starts to shake in the adrenaline crash. "Proud of you, Babe." He whispers for only me to hear.

Once the shaking subsides and my heart rate comes back to normal, I address the room, "I'm sorry if I embarrassed you. I didn't plan on saying anything, but I couldn't help it."

"No, Ms. Plum, you didn't embarrass us at all. That was the best takedown I ever witnessed. I can't wait to tell my wife about it. I've never seen a person so dejected, cut down, and destroyed without using a weapon. Good job, Steph." Agent Bicard said.

"She found this building on her own? You never took her here?" Morelli asks.

"No. All my vehicles have GPS. During the Slayer incident, when I lent her my car, Tank never cleared the GPS, so she followed it in reverse to this building, then she snuck in, thinking no one knew she was here. Tank called, and I told him to let her stay. I knew what was going on with the Slayers and their damage to your house, so I told Tank to let her stay in my apartment. When I came home a few days later in the middle of the night, I let her stay. Then, the next day, she moved to an apartment on four. I always anticipated bringing her here at some point, but she beat me to it."

I'm thinking about that stay, how I knew, in the corner of my heart, that I loved Ranger at that point. I look at my love and realize how stupid we both were for so long. But at least we are together now and have Miguel. I hope to have another child with him. I never thought I'd want to be a mother, but having Miguel makes me want to have a few more. Shit! I said a few. Where did that come from; having more kids?

"What happened to you while they had you?" Agent Bicard asks.

"Nothing. Out of all the times I've been kidnapped, this time was the best. Once they confirmed I was pregnant, they needed to keep me healthy so they could sell Miguel. I got three square meals a day, books, and one hour on the treadmill. After Miguel was born, I got the same treatment because I was nursing him. It would cause too much attention for them to buy formula. I was bored out of my mind most days, and frustrated, but all in all, it wasn't too bad. I was more scared that they would take Miguel away from me before I could get back to you, Carlos."

"Morelli, what time are you meeting Terry?"

"In about an hour and a half, so I better go get ready. I hope Vito forgives me. Otherwise, I won't need to worry about much."

I watch as Morelli leaves with Agent Bicard. Vince and Manny are assisting Morelli with Terry. I hear a commotion from the control room, and we see Lula being brought in by Cal and Hal. Good, two down, two to go. I turn to Carlos, look him in the eyes, then say, "You know, pregnancy hormones are worse than sugar hormones. I haven't had sugar in over fifteen months. Miguel doesn't like sugar. You have a lot of catching up to do, Batman."

"Dios, Babe. When do you have to feed Miguel next?"

"In about twenty minutes. I have enough milk pumped for the rest of the night and tomorrow."

"Once you finish feeding Miguel, we're offline until tomorrow. Be prepared to writhe beneath me, screaming my name as I fill you with my massive cock, shooting my seed deep inside you because I want another baby, Steph. I want to watch you grow round with my child; I want to be there when she is born. I want a little girl with your blue eyes and crazy curls. I want a family, Stephanie, with you, mi amor."

I shiver from his words, ruining my panties. "Let's go, Batman. I have a hungry son to take care of right away."

We jog out of his office, and he calls to Tank, "We're offline until 0800. You're in charge."


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: All things familiar belong to Ms. Evanovich. I make no money.**

 **Chapter 7**

 **Morelli's POV**

Shit. I'm up. I don't want to do this to Terry. I feel as though I should give her a chance to explain. She isn't going to give it up easily. Unlike Lula and Sofia, she is always armed and knows how to use her weapons. I know where she keeps her weapons, but even when we are intimate, she's always the one to remove them. If I attempt to disarm her, she'll know something is up. I can't believe that Terry would be involved in human trafficking. It is against her way of thinking, her moral code, or at least I thought it was. I know that when Stephanie first died, Terry tried hard to make us more, to be the wife I want. But Terry isn't who I want, at least not the adult Joseph Morelli. When we were teenagers, she was everything I wanted. But then, after her cousin, Vito's son died in that car accident, she changed, becoming involved in her Uncle's business. Once I settled on a career in law enforcement, I knew that Terry could never be more than a mistress or an occasional fling. She could never be my wife.

I've worked hard to become a detective in TPD. I hoped to get called into the FBI, but my arrest and subsequent FTA status after the whole Carmen incident took that away from me. Now, I hope to make Chief someday. I got slapped for accepting that blow job that Steph found out about, but it was a moment of weakness. Steph and I were fighting, again. Even before the fight, we weren't intimate. First, I was sick and had no desire to have sex. Then, when I was better, Stephanie had her period. Once that was over, I had to work a lot of hours on a case. By the time our schedules allowed us to spend the night together, we were fighting. So, after almost a month of no release, I was horny. I figured it couldn't hurt. I mean, it was only a blow job. It's not like I had sex with her. But, of course, with my luck, Steph found me with my dick in the prostitute's mouth, and that was the end of us. I knew that I could never win her back, but I didn't expect Manoso to swoop in so quickly.

I know I need to talk to Vito at some point, to explain everything to him. As much as Manoso is going to want to punish Terry, I need to get it sanctioned, or I'll be swimming with the fishes in the Delaware River. Vito won't touch Manoso or Rangeman; he knows that if he did, every ABC organization would be down on him and his Family will suffer. If only I had the backing of some of those big wigs in Washington. I decide to put on the dark wash blue jeans that I always wear to family birthdays with a white t-shirt and open button-down striped shirt, left untucked. Therefore, I can hide my gun, which I normally wear openly, but around the kids, I try to hide it. I have my clutch piece at my ankle and a stiletto at my waist. I pray I won't need them. Once the word gets out that I brought down Theresa Gilman, my mother will be on my phone, yelling 'why me' and Grandma Bella will be putting the eye on me. I think she and Vito are distant cousins, something like his grandmother and her grandmother's sister were in-laws. There is no blood relationship between Terry and me. I made sure of that.

I fix my hair, taking a deep breath — the things I do for Stephanie. I should have listened to my mother when she told me to stay away from Stephanie Plum, that she was dangerous, that she wasn't Burg. I didn't listen. Instead, I pursued her. I loved her spirit, but I thought that it was a phase. Maybe, if Manoso hadn't come along, it would have been, but thanks to him and his support, it became her way of life. Sorry, Mom, you were right. Terry agreed to meet me at my house, as I'm closer to the fictional relative's home. I hear her car pull up. I know I have Manoso's men backing me up, but with Terry, there is no room for error. Showtime.

"Hey, Terry, thanks for agreeing to come with me. My mother is still on the warpath, trying to marry me off to every available skirt in Trenton. She doesn't realize that I don't want them." I tell her.

"I know, lover. I get it. My Uncle Vito keeps telling me to settle down. I told him I'm waiting for you. You know, he'll give you a good position in the Family business. You wouldn't have to work the crazy hours you do now; we will live a good life. You don't need to wade through those gruesome murder scenes for pennies anymore."

"I know, Terry, but I can't do that. I've spent my adult life trying to fight crime; I can't suddenly start to condone it. I turn a blind eye to much of your business, out of respect for your Uncle and you, but I couldn't in good conscience, be a part of it."

"I understand. How much time do we have before your family starts calling?"

I glance at my watching, understanding that she wants a quickie. "About forty minutes. It'll take about ten minutes to get there. So we have a half hour."

"That's more than enough time for round one," Terry says as we start to kiss. I lead her up to my bedroom, knowing I have my cuffs there. Terry is willing to do almost anything, so maybe I can get her this way.

We make it to my bedroom, and I push her on my bed. I start to kiss her, unbuttoning the silk shirt she's wearing. I lift her hands above her head, holding them there. I ask her if she trusts me and she says she does. I take my cuffs and place them through the bed rail, cuffing her hands above her head. Once she's secure, I call in the reinforcements.

"Vince, Manny, we're ready for you," I call my back up as I button Terry's shirt. Giving Terry that dignity will give me a couple of points in Vito's book.

"Nice work, Morelli. Did you disarm her?" Manny asks.

"No, I was waiting for you. I want extra eyes on Terry. She has tricks up her sleeve." I first take her mini-Glock from her shoulder harness, then the two knives from her belt before getting her S & W from her thigh holster. I find it ironic that she uses the same guns that Stephanie does. I check her ankles and continue to frisk her, finding no more weapons.

"Check her hair for bobby pins and her clothing for other items. She knows how to pick locks." I inform them.

Instead, they take out their flexicuffs and put them on her along with their handcuffs. Once in their SUV, they shackle her ankles. Two other Rangemen are waiting, ready to sit in the back with her on the ride to Haywood. Damn, how are they always prepared for everything?

As they leave, I get in my car, heading for Vito's home. I need to make this visit to Vito by myself. I know that there is a good possibility that I'll never leave his home. I hope Stephanie takes Bob; I'd hate to see him in the pound. With one last glance at my house, I drive towards Vito's estate on the outskirts of Trenton.

 **Ranger's POV**

We arrive up in our penthouse and Steph immediately goes to our son. Julie is waiting to hear what happened today. We sit in the living room as Stephanie nurses Miguel, filling Julie in on the details. Julie reports that Miguel has been an angel all day. After a quick dinner courtesy of Ella, I escort my two children to Ella's apartment for the night. As much as I love Julie and Miguel, I need a night along with my Babe after a year without her. Julie, who is wise beyond her years, understands and is fine with being shuffled to Tia Ella for the night. When I arrive back up on seven, Steph is standing in the bathroom, with tears in her eyes.

"Babe, what's wrong?"

"I'm sorry, Carlos, it's embarrassing to be standing here, removing my bra and the pads that I keep in them to catch the milk that leaks out. It isn't sexy to be a human cow."

I find the way her mind works to be funny, but I know now is not the time for me to smile. "Babe, you are providing the food and nourishment for our son, and this is the sexiest thing you can do. Without you, he wouldn't have anything to eat. You are his lifeline. Dios, watching you nurse Miguel is a huge turn-on for me. I'm not disgusted by you being a mother. Your body has changed, and I love the changes. Your hips are wider, your breasts fuller, your waist smaller than before you were pregnant. Your tummy has a little pouch, where our son grew. I want to spend the rest of my life worshipping you, Stephanie. You are the sexiest, most beautiful woman I have ever laid eyes on, Querida."

I begin to nibble on her neck, and with my right hand, I hold her against my body while my left grazes her sensitive nipples. I take in her scent, a mixture of strawberry and coconut along with the essence of Stephanie, a scent that has me hard instantly.

I gently lift her bridal style, carrying her into our bedroom, laying her in the center of our bed. I strip off her remaining clothes along with mine, and worship her body from her head down to her toes and back to her center. My head and mouth are lined up with her glistening folds, and I look her in the eye. "Dios, Babe, I missed you, so much in my heart. I missed your taste, your sweet juices, I prayed every night to the opportunity to see you once again, to be able to touch you once more, even if it was only in a dream. Part of me thinks this is a dream, for everything is too perfect. But I know that you are here, where you belong, in our bed, in our home. I love you, Stephanie Michelle Plum, forever."

Once I finish speaking, I dive into her fold. Steph is already wet; her juices are even sweeter than I remember. Last night, we made love, but I didn't feast on her. Julie was in the other room, and we wanted to be less obvious, but tonight, I get to have what I want, and that is four courses of Stephanie. I allow my tongue to enter into her center, to prime her for me as I play with her breasts and her clit. I feel her hips bucking, wanting more. I gently push her down, stilling her for a few moments.

"Patience, querida," I tell her before going back to my feast. I feel her muscles clenching, and I know that she's close to cuming. With a gentle pinch on her clit, I have her shaking through her first orgasm. I gently let her down before playing with her lower curls with my fingers, getting ready to enter her once more. I bring my mouth to her breast, sucking on her nipple. I taste some of her breast milk and lap it up. It tastes even better than her juices. No wonder Miguel is anxious to eat. I have two fingers inside her and feel her body building to another high. I move my kisses to her neck, marking her as mine. I want to make sure Sofia knows that Stephanie is mine when we see her tomorrow. I hope that Stephanie will mark me as well.

Once again, as I feel her getting close to her release, I insert a third finger while allowing my thumb to rub her sensitive nub, bringer her to another orgasm. Without giving her a chance to come down, I impale her with my cock. It feels so good to be sliding home inside my Babe. I take my time, torturing her with slow, deliberate movements, looking to prolong her enjoyment as much as possible. I lean down, kissing her, sticking my tongue in her mouth as far as I can, tasting every nook and cranny. I attack her neck, as she attacks mine, I feel her marking me, not once, not twice, but three times. With the third, we both go over that cliff of contentment, our souls joining together. The last few days have been emotional, and I'm exhausted, as is Stephanie. I gently pull out of her, immediately feeling alone as I lose that closeness to my Babe. I roll on my side, as does Stephanie, and I pull her against my body, covering us with the blanket.

"Sleep, querida, get some rest. I promise we'll have more fun later. I love you, Babe."

"I love you too, Carlos," she responds sleepily.

We wake up several times throughout the night to make love, sometimes slowly and passionately, other times wild and reckless, but we take what we need of each other. She wakes to pump when she needs to, then we engage in more aerobic lovemaking, before falling back to sleep again. When my alarm wakes us up at 0600, I'm sore in places that I haven't been sore in since Stephanie left me. After another round of morning lovemaking in the shower, we dress for the day, ready to confront Lula, Terry, and Sofia.

At 0730, Julie comes up to the apartment with Miguel and Steph nurses him once again. I glance at her, and I see her face flush as she thinks back to how I was doing the same thing to her last night. Thankfully, Julie was in her room getting dressed, so the awkward moment went unnoticed. At 0755, we leave Julie with Miguel to head down to five for our morning meeting.

 **Vito Grizoli's POV**

Don Vito, il detective Morelli è qui per vederti, qualcosa riguardo a un problema con tua nipote, Theresa." Angelo informs me. (Don Vito, Detective Morelli is here to see you, something about a problem with your niece, Theresa.)

"Lascialo entrare, parlerò con lui," I reply. (Let him in, I'll talk to him.) I wait a few moments for Detective Morelli to appear at my office door. Angelo shows him into my study, then leaves us alone. I wonder if Theresa got herself into another mess. I told Theresa that if she causes the Family one more problem, I will ship her off to Italy and force her to marry Nunzio. He's a good man and will make a good homemaker and mother out of her. I know she'd prefer Joseph Morelli, but he's a cop. He chose law and order over my niece and her Family. I don't blame the man. The life we live is not an easy one. I'm not sure, had I had the opportunity to choose my fate, that I would choose my life. While I have not wanted for anything materially, I don't have the safety and security that I would prefer for my family. Joseph looks upset, lost, and angry. Not a good combination for a Morelli man. "Giuseppe, son, what can I do for you today?" "Sir, Theresa is in trouble. There is a lot of evidence linking her to some illegal activity that I do not see you sanctioning. I know that you either don't approve or don't know, because she teamed up with Homer Ramos in this little endeavor." Joseph starts. "What endeavor is my niece involved in that would require her to seek help from Ramos?" "Mr. Grizoli, Theresa is helping to find and capture girls and young women to sell in the human trafficking rings around the world. She was behind the kidnapping of Stephanie Plum last year." I stare at Detective Morelli sitting in front of me. I look at his eyes, his body language, to see if he is trying to con me. But all I see is disappointment, fear, and truth. "Is there more, Detective?" I ask. "She is also behind black market adoptions. When we found Stephanie, she had a five-month-old infant with her, her son, that Theresa told her would be sold soon." "And where is Ms. Plum now? I assume that the boy you are talking about is your son, is he not?" "His name is Carlos Miguel Manoso; he is not my son," Joseph replies to me, obviously bitter.

"The rumors that Ms. Plum broke up with you and was dating Manoso were true, then?"

"Yes, Don Vito. I'm sorry that I misled you, Theresa, and the rest of the Burg." He paused, before deciding to continue. "I feel strongly for Theresa, but there is no way that I could ever marry her. I know that our relationship is not what you want for your niece, but we are two consenting adults. I love my job, my career. I enjoy being a cop, having the opportunity to help others. I've managed to put away my share of wife-beaters, and when I do, I feel like I'm finally standing up for my mother. Theresa and I can never be more than friends, and now, even friendship is out the window."

"I told my Theresa that you would never choose her over your career, but she didn't want to believe me. I know that she pursued your relationship as much as you did. You are right; you are both consenting adults, which is the only reason why you are still alive today. However, I am extremely disappointed with my niece. If everything you told me is true, then she is no family of mine. I understand that Ms. Plum will want justice, American style, but I would prefer to be able to handle my niece as I deem appropriate. After all, she did go behind my back and disobey a direct order. She is my responsibility."

"I can call Stephanie and have you speak to her. Or I can set up a meeting with Stephanie and Ranger. Theresa, along with her co-conspirators, are at Rangeman now in their holding cells. In the raid that rescued Stephanie and her son, we found four other women dead and three toddlers who were fine, thank God." Joseph informs me.

"I will contact Manoso myself. Thank you for coming to me, Joseph. I know this wasn't easy for you. I know you will never cash in, but know, that as long as I'm alive, if you ever need my help, I'm a phone call away."

Joseph recognized that our conversation was over. He stood, shook my hand and waited for his escort to his car. When Angelo came back, he asked the question, "What are we going to do to Mr. Morelli, Don Vito?"

"Niente. Joseph did nothing wrong. Inform all our men that they are to assist Detective Morelli if he ever needs their assistance. Hedging or refusing to provide him with information will be punished." I tell Angelo. (nothing)

"Va bene," Angelo replies. (Okay.)

 **Ranger's POV**

Stephanie and I are in our small conference room with the Core Team plus Agent Bicard and Morelli. We are planning our course of action with the three women. I know that Stephanie wants to confront Sofia and Lula. She doesn't understand why they wanted to hurt her. The big question is what to do about Terry. We already received word from Alexander Ramos that Homer is out of the picture, permanently. We know that even if Vito Grizoli disowns Terry, there are still plenty left in the family who are still loyal to her. Agent Bicard is well aware of that situation. As much as Stephanie wonders why Terry got involved in human trafficking and black-market adoptions, she doesn't need to talk to her. She knows that her motivation was jealousy over Morelli picking Stephanie over Terry.

As we are discussing the exchange into FBI custody, my private line rings. I pick it up, surprised at the person on the other end. I give Morelli a look, and I watch him slouch in his seat. I listen as the man on the line talks, and I agree with his decision. The problem is getting the feds to agree, or at least to pretend to look the other way. I let the caller know that I'll call him back as soon as I have an answer for him.

"Morelli, is there something you forgot to tell us?" I ask the cop.

He sighs, "last night after we got Terry, I went to speak with Vito Grizoli. I know him well, especially since Terry and I have been friends or more since high school. He needed to hear what she's been doing from me, not from someone else. As I suspected, he did not know about her venture into her side business. He is disappointed in her and would like to be the person to punish Terry. In some ways, you and Terry are very much alike, Stephanie. Terry does not want to be the Burg wife and mother. She never did. That is one of the reasons her marriage failed. We didn't work because, well, she's involved in the mob and I'm a cop."

"Mr. Grizoli wants us to turn Terry over to him. He wants us to act as though we couldn't find her. He's planning on sending her to Sicily, to marry a family friend, where her husband will demand that she takes the role of wife and mother. That will be a greater punishment for Terry than anything our legal system can do for her. I know that this would require you to lie to your superiors, and could lead to a dismissal, Agent Bicard, but in the end, I'll leave the decision up to you." I tell everyone.

I watch Agent Bicard contemplate what I said. I see that he is thinking about the various scenarios that could play out if Terry winds up in prison. Finally, he speaks, "Ranger, do what you must. Officially, we were only able to apprehend Sofia Caballo and Lula Knight. Homer Ramos and Theresa Gilman were not at their homes, their offices, or anywhere in Trenton. We will continue to look for them, of course, in case they return one day."

Agent Bicard is a good man. "Agent, if you decide that you want to retire from the FBI, you are welcomed to join Rangeman."

"Thank you for the offer, Manoso. I may take you up on that offer one day."

"I need to be the one to talk to Lula, alone. She'll tell me why she hurt me when she sees that her plan didn't work. The ring on my finger will be enough to drive her insanely jealous. As for Sofia, we need to go in together, Carlos, flaunting our relationship, being overly attentive and physical. It will aggravate her, causing her to confess. Once I speak to both, you can take them, Agent Bicard." Stephanie finally says, bringing us back on task.

"I think that's a great idea, Babe. Do you want to go down now?" I ask her.

"No, I need to check the closet upstairs. Carlos, did Ella buy me any designer clothes?"

"I'm sure she did, Babe. Why?"

"When I see Sofia and Lula, I need to be dressed in as much bling as possible. Wearing designer clothes, shoes, jewelry, and looking wealthy will further infuriate them. The more infuriated they get, the more they will talk." She replies.

Stephanie glances at the clock, noticing that it's almost ten. "I'll meet you downstairs at 10:15. Give me thirty minutes with Lula, and forty-five with Sofia, no more. If they haven't spilled everything in that time frame, then they aren't going to spill. Miguel's next meal is at 11:30."

"Go get ready, Babe," I tell her, kissing her gently on the forehead before she leaves.


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: All things familiar belong to Ms. Evanovich. I make no money.**

 **Chapter 8**

 **Stephanie's POV**

I go up to seven to look for an amazing outfit to wear. Julie hears me enter the apartment and greets me with her gun drawn. I'm glad that Carlos trained her so well. Once she concludes that we are safe, she asks me why I'm back. Once I tell her what I need, she helps me pick out a kick-ass outfit. We find a plum colored Prada suit with a wonderful short jacket and form-fitting pencil skirt that ends about two inches above my knee but has a slit in the back that goes much higher. I put a lilac silk lace-trimmed camisole under the suit jacket with my unsexy nude colored nursing bra and very sexy purple lace panties. We pair the suit with a pair of silver Louboutin heels with a 3" heel. I find a gorgeous diamond pendant and diamond hoop earrings to finish the ensemble. I'm afraid to wear this outside of the apartment because I'm liable to ruin it! Julie fixes my makeup in a classic style that looks sexy and professional at the same time. I glance at the clock and notice that I have three minutes to get downstairs. I thank Julie for her assistance and head down to the holding cells.

When the elevator doors open, the men are already waiting for me. Once they see me, all talking stops, and I watch them all slowly appraise me. Carlos stalks over to me, grabbing me in his arms, whispering to me, "Babe, please don't take this off until I get to take it off you. Dios, Babe, I'm hard as a rock looking at you."

I can't help a shiver from running down my spine at Carlos' assessment of my appearance. I'm glad I was successful in achieving my goal. "Lula first, alone. If you want to wait outside, that's fine. Is she restrained?"

"Yes. Ankle shackle, like you. Lula can only move in a four-foot radius. You'll be fine." Tank informs me.

"Go get 'em, tiger," Carlos says. I take a deep breath and walk into her cell.

I look at Lula, who is about fifty pounds heavier now than she was a year ago and still wearing her ridiculous clothes. Her hair is fire engine red and does not look good on her. Her matching red spandex pants and shirt make her look like a giant tomato. She looks up and notices me standing before her.

"Oh my God! You're alive, Stephanie! I'm so glad you are okay." She starts.

"Can it, Lula. You can drop the act. I know that you were the one who stunned me, that you were the one who turned me over to Terry Gilman. I know that you are responsible for my son to be sold to some strangers, to take him away from me, and to take him away from Carlos. You are a worthless piece of scum. You were better at being a whore than as an honest woman."

"Oh, please, Miss High and Mighty. Suddenly, you're wearing Prada and Louboutin, with those diamonds hanging all over you. You are nothing but a gold-digging whore. You had a good man in Morelli, but were you satisfied with him? No. You had to embarrass him, betray him, and cheat on him with Batman so you could get your hands on his money. You don't love Ranger; you love his wealth."

"Lula, if you believe that then you don't know me. I am not with Ranger; I'm not engaged to him because he has money. We are together because he understands me and I understand him. We will never try to change each other, only support each other in all our endeavors. I'm not the gold-digging whore; you are the whore. That's the only reason why I can fathom you decided to fake an engagement to Tank. If he would have married you, then you would be a lot wealthier, as well. But that didn't work out. So what, you decided to team up with Terry to make money off me? I gave you a part of my commission, even though that often meant that I went hungry. I gave you part of my commission even though you received a salary for doing nothing. The way you thank me is by kidnapping me and selling me into slavery. Some friend you turned out to be, but, guess what, Lula, I win. I am with Ranger, and we have a son together. I have a family with the man I love. You'll spend the rest of your life rotting in a cage. At least you don't mind fucking random strangers. You'll fit right in with the rest of the prison population."

"You bitch, self-righteous as always. It is your fault that Ramirez beat me. Your fault that I can never have children of my own, but you always flaunted how you didn't want children, even though you can have however many you want. You are a self-centered, stuck up bitch. Fuck you and fuck Ranger. I will not go to jail. And I will make sure that you will never get your happily ever after if it's the last thing I do. You deserved to get stunned. You deserved to die. Five more minutes and you would be dead. Enjoy looking over your shoulder for the rest of your life."

"Nice try, Lula. Maybe you and Sofia can be lovers. She's mighty attractive. But then again, she only had one man, so she may not want to be with a whore. Have a nice life, Lula." I say as I walk out. I heard enough. Agent Bicard can take her away from here now. The only one left is Sofia, and I want to know her motivation most of all.

 **Sofia's POV**

I can't believe my Carlos has me locked away in this room like an animal! What did I do to deserve Carlos treating me like a dog?! I did nothing but love him with all my heart, and this is how he repays me. Just wait until I get out of here. He's going to wish he never crossed Sofia Caballo.

What the hell does that white girl have that's better than me anyway? I have a bigger chest, natural of course, better hair, and a beautiful café latte complexion that better matches Carlos'. And, on top of it, I'm Cuban! I can't believe that he dared to fuck that bitch knowing that I'm here! I can't get over that he let her in his apartment. What did I do so wrong?

I hear the locks tumble and laughter. I watch as the door opens. Carlos walks in, with his hand on that bitch's lower back, and pulls her into his chest for a mind-numbing kiss. Stephanie looks like she'd collapse if he weren't holding her up.

"Carlos, why are you with that whore? You're mine, not hers. You know that." I tell him.

"Yours? That's funny, Sofia because from where I'm standing, I don't see that as being true. I'm not the one chained to the room." Steph says. As she's talking to me, Carlos is standing behind her, with his arms around her waist, trailing kisses down her neck and on her shoulder. I notice that she has several bite marks on her neck and further down her torso.

"Carlos, stop, I can't think when your mouth is on my body, or when I smell your delicious scent," Steph says.

"Querida, I'm sorry, but seeing you in this suit, I can't wait to get it off you." I look at Carlos and see the obvious erection he's sporting, which I never saw while we were dating. Steph notices where I'm looking and follows with her eyes.

"Don't worry, Carlos; I'll take care of your big problem once we finish with the _puttana_." She kisses Carlos on his mouth, and they hungrily grab for each other. She trails a few kisses down his neck; then she marks him. Good, he's going to yell at her now as he did me.

 ** _Flashback_**

 _We're in my bedroom, kissing and removing each other's clothes. I'm kissing Carlos' neck, back, shoulder, everywhere I can reach. He removes my shirt and his, and now he is working on my bra. I start to suck on his neck, wanting to let the world know that Carlos Manoso is mine; that he's off the market._

 _"Sofia, don't."_

 _"Don't what, lover?"_

 _"Don't leave any marks. I have a reputation. I can't be seen in a client meeting or on Stark Street with hickeys on my neck. They are juvenile."_

 _I pout, and we resume our kissing. I decided to try it again. Only this time, Carlos jerks away from me and looks angrily at me. "Sofia, I asked you not to bite me. If you cannot respect my wishes, then we are not going any further tonight. I never do something that you ask me not to do, and I expect the same respect from you."_

 _With that, he gets up off my bed and pulls his pants back on. His penis, which was at a full erection a few moments ago, is now hanging limply down. I never knew a man who could go from hard as nails to nothing without a release. His control is amazing. He bends down, picking up his shirt, pulling it over his head. Next, his utility belt, guns, and knives go back in their proper location. Finally, he turns back to me, "Sofia, I'm sorry, but if you can't respect my wishes then we cannot be together. I'll call you tomorrow."_

"Babe, what did I tell you?"

"Not to mark you."

"Yes."

"But you put all these marks on my neck because you said I'm yours and you want everyone to know that I'm your woman. Well, you are my man, and I want everyone to know that as well."

"Alright, I guess that's fair." He says. I can't help the growl from leaving my throat at that response. That seemed to snap them out of their lust filled fantasy, though I can still see Carlos' dick straining against his cargos.

His whore turns to me, addressing me, "Sofia, what did I ever do to you? Why did you conspire to kidnap me and sell me into slavery?"

"You are in my way. Carlos is my man and has been since that fateful Halloween night. He was my first, and he will be my only. I love him."

"Sofia, Joe Morelli was my first, and I don't want him to be my last. I'd rather go the rest of my life without a social orgasm than be with a man who doesn't love me the way I deserve to be loved." 

"Well, you're a better person. Besides, I'm the only one who can make Carlos happy. He's just with you because you brainwash him. He was going to marry me. You will never be able to satisfy him, never be able to give him the pleasure I can give him. You won't be able to keep up with his demands and needs. Cuban men have a high libido that only Cuban women can match."

"That's not a problem with Carlos and me. My Hungarian hormones can give your Cuban ones a run for their money. We spent all night making love to each other in every way imaginable, only stopping to care for Miguel. Once we're done talking to you, we'll be continuing where we left off. We can't get enough of each other. Now he's marrying me. Sofia, give it up. You will never have Carlos. Instead, you'll spend the rest of your life in prison dreaming about Carlos."

"Why did you team up with Terry Gilman?" Carlos asks me.

"Because we both wanted Stephanie out of the way. She wants that Morelli guy and I want you. It's simple. Lula is sick of you always getting all the attention and decided that without you around, she could have your job and get all the attention of Ranger's men. You are the reason she can't have children. If it weren't for you, Ramirez never would have targeted her. You are a disaster, and no one understands why you even try to do a job you can't do successfully."

"How many other women have you sold? How many children did you steal from loving parents?"

"About fifty each. It's a very profitable business, one that we plan on continuing, with you, Carlos, providing security. We can get rid of Homer Ramos. He's a liability. Once Joe marries Terry after she gets herself pregnant, we'll have the cop protection we'll need. We will be unstoppable." I say, knowing that once Carlos sees the business opportunity, he'll dump the slut and come back to me.

"Where's the proof of this profit? If you want me to support this endeavor, I need to see all the financial records. I don't go into business ventures without knowing for sure that they will be successful."

"Carlos, what are you saying?" His whore asks, suddenly realizing that she's expendable.

"Of course we have documentation. It's in my apartment. If you take me there, I'll get if for you and go over all the figures with you."

"Tell me where in your apartment and I'll go. If it is truly as profitable as you are saying, I'll buy Stephanie from you for my men to enjoy. Then, I'll move you in on seven."

I watch as Stephanie pales, as her cocky, arrogant attitude diminishes.

"But what about Miguel?" Stephanie asks.

"What about him? He's my son, after all. I'm sure that Sofia wouldn't mind raising him as her son. You can continue to nurse him; then, once he no longer needs you, you'll be free of him. Didn't you always say that you didn't want to be a mother? Now, you will be relieved of that title."

The slut walks behind Carlos, putting her hands around his waist from behind, kissing his neck. "But baby, we're engaged. You promised to marry me. I love you, Carlos, and you said you loved me."

"I lied." He tells her, removing her hands from his waist, but still sporting an obvious erection. "Sofia, mi Reina, where is the documentation?" (my queen)

"It's on my laptop. The passcode is your birthday, followed by your initials." I tell him, finally knowing that Carlos will be all mine soon.

"I'm going to your apartment and will retrieve the laptop. When I have it, I'll come back here to go over the financial reports with you."

"Okay lover, I'll be waiting."

Carlos roughly grabs his whore's wrists and pulls her after him out of the room. "I have a cell next door that has your name on it. I'm sure a few of my men have some extra aggression they need to release."

The door slams behind him, and I can smile for the first time since finding myself in this cage.

 **Ranger's POV**

Once I know that the door to Sofia's cage is firmly closed, I turn to Stephanie and pull her close to me. "Babe, are you okay? I'm sorry that I said those things about you and to you. You know I love you and would never let my men touch you, right? Did I hurt your wrist?"

"No Carlos, I'm fine. I picked up on what you were trying to do. Do you think that she has the names of the women they took and who the kids came from and who took them?"

"I do. If I can get that information, we may be able to shut down part of this operation, discovering if Homer, Terry, Lula, and Sofia are working with a larger organization." I tell Stephanie.

"Okay, then let's go get her laptop."

I pull Stephanie against me once more, allowing my soldier to brush against her center. "I want to head back up to seven, rip this suit off you, and make you scream my name first, Babe. Sofia's not going anywhere, and neither are you right now." I whisper in her ear.

"Good idea," Steph responds.

I lead Steph to the elevator, making sure to keep her in front of me. I still have a raging hard on that I don't want my men to see. Once the doors close, I scramble the cameras, attacking Steph's neck with my mouth, her nipples with one hand and her core with my other, all through her clothes, of course. She moans, and I know she's as ready as I am. When we hit seven, I stop my assault long enough to get us into the apartment. Once the door to our apartment is closed and locked, I start pulling off Steph's suit. Her jacket is the first item to fall to the floor followed by her skirt and top. I pull my shirt off and drop my cargoes, allowing my soldier to come out and play. I touch her center with my hands, feeling her panties soaked with her juices.

"Babe," I said, exasperatedly. I rip off her panties, lean her against the kitchen counter, and enter her from behind. When we first became a couple, she hated this position, but once she realized that I wouldn't hurt her and that I would never enter her ass without her permission, she started to allow herself to enjoy this position. I can get deeper inside her, and give her a stronger orgasm. I feel her getting close to exploding so I gently pinch her clit, which I feel throbbing beneath my fingers. She screams out my name in ecstasy as she explodes around me. I'm still hard, but I'm not ready to cum yet. I want to give her more of me. I pull out only long enough to turn her body around so I could impale her on me once again. She wraps her legs around my waist, as I walk us to the bedroom, kissing her perfect lips, feeling her breasts rubbing against my chest. Once I reach the bed, I place us both down without coming apart. I slowly thrust into her while my mouth moves to her beautiful, full breasts. I suck on them, feeling a little milk leak out, getting even harder, if it is was possible. I know that I am close, and I feel Steph's walls start to clench around me. I give a few more deep thrusts before reaching between us to rub her clit. I feel Steph release, and I follow right behind her. Once we calm down from our high, I get out of bed. I go to the bathroom to get a washcloth to clean up Steph. I call Julie and ask her to bring Miguel up to seven. I'm sure it's time for him to eat based on how much Steph is leaking.

Stephane puts on a pair of yoga pants, and a tank top while I put on clean cargos and a t-shirt. I make sure to gather the clothes that we left all over the apartment in our haste to get undressed. Julie enters and brings Miguel to his room. She changes his diaper, then hands him off to Steph who starts to feed him.

"Julie, Stephanie and I have to go to Sofia's house to get her laptop and look for other information. Do you mind watching Miguel a little longer? I promise once we wrap everything up, you won't have to babysit him as much."

"No Papi, it's fine. I don't mind. I'm enjoying the opportunity to bond with him. He's a good baby, always happy and rarely cries, unless he's dirty or hungry." Julie replies.

Once Steph finishes feeding Miguel, she burps him and rocks him to sleep. When he's sleeping, she places him in his crib after kissing his forehead.

"Ready to go, Carlos?"

"Yes. I'm ready. We're going to take Lester and Tank with us just in case. I want to make sure this won't be an ambush."

We say goodbye to Julie then head down to five to get our back up. I tell Tank and Lester to join us, and we head down to the garage. I decide to take the Cayenne there because her neighbors will recognize the car belonging in the garage. No one will second guess its presence. I tell Tank and Lester that Stephanie will be joining them in their car about three blocks from her apartment. I don't want anyone to see me arriving with Steph. They still think Sofia and I are a couple.

We get into her garage without a hitch, and I make it into her apartment without anyone seeing me. Tank texts me that they are on their way up. Once I see them in the hall, I open the door to let Lester, Tank, and Stephanie inside quickly.

Stephanie goes to Sofia's room and starts looking through drawers. I'm not sure what she's looking for, but I'm sure she'll find it. I head to her office and grab her laptop. Tank and Lester start looking through her paper files. Suddenly I hear Stephanie exclaim. "Holy shit."

I go to the bedroom, finding Stephanie holding a bag of syringes and about ten vials of some liquid. On the bed is a small suitcase filled with money. I can't believe I never knew about this part of Sofia's life. "What's in the vials?" 

"Clomiphene. It's a drug that women take to get pregnant." Steph tells me. "I also found a diary of sorts. It seems, from my skimming of the pages, that Sofia was injecting herself, hoping to become pregnant."

Shit. How did I never pick up on Sofia's psychotic tendencies? I'm also wondering how Celia didn't pick up on it either. Tank and Lester join us, showing us the documentation about the abductions, of both the women and children and along with their 'sale receipts.' It's quite sickening. We walk back into her office, where we notice a copy machine. Stephane grabs the file and starts to photocopy its contents. Then she hands us back the originals, telling us to put them back where we found them. We'll show Sofia the copies but tip off TPD that she has evidence here.

Feeling inspired by Stephanie's idea, I call Hector, asking him if he could remotely copy all the information on her laptop to one at Rangeman, to make her think we have her machine. That way, TPD can discover all the evidence, and we have our bargaining chip to use against Sofia. Hector confirms that he can, so I give him the specifications of her laptop. He tells me it will be ready when we get back. I carefully examine her laptop, taking pictures of the outside case, the keyboard, everything. One never knows if there is an imperfection in the body that she may look for or recognize. I send the pictures to Hector as well. Steph moved to the bathroom, hitting pay dirt once more. When she comes out of the bathroom, she's holding tampon box with financial information from the last year on an off-shore account. Tank and Lester stare at Stephanie in disbelief.

"How did you find that, Stephanie. We didn't see anything in the bathroom." Lester asks sheepishly.

"Well, being a guy, I'm not surprised. Women have tremendous brand loyalty for makeup, hair care products, tampons, and many other things. She has two superstore sized boxes of tampons from a different company in her linen closet and a small organizer filled with about ten of the same brands. Then, under her sink, I find this large box of a different brand, different absorbency, and a different style. There is no way she would keep tampons that she no longer preferred. So, I looked in the box. I tend to use these boxes to hold extra hair clips and ties, sometimes nail files and other such products. She kept her books there."

"Proud of you, Babe." The bank account information we decide to take with us. We'll hand it over to the feds, but if Tank and Lester didn't find it, then TPD certainly wouldn't. I don't even know if the female officers would be on the case. Once we have everything we need, we head back to Haywood. I watch as Stephanie keeps moving her arms, trying to touch her breasts subtly.

"Is it time for Miguel to eat?"

"Yes, it is that time. How much longer?" Steph responds.

"About five minutes, Babe."

I pull into the garage and park in my spot, watching Stephanie practically jump out the door before I put it in park. I can't imagine the discomfort she must be in if she's moving that quickly. I follow her when I hear my phone ring. I look at the caller ID, and I'm surprised at the caller.

"Signor Grizoli, buon giorno," I say as I answer the phone. (Mr. Grizoli, good day)

 _"Signor Manoso, buona serra."_ He replies. (Mr. Manoso, good evening)

"I'm sorry about the situation you find your family in right now," I say, being vague.

 _"Grazie, but it is in part, my fault. I always loved my niece too much and gave her too much free reign. Now, I will pay for that stupidity. Never underestimate a woman." (thank you)_

"I know that you didn't call to give me advice or for small talk."

 _"You are correct, of course. I am calling to let you know that Teresa will never make it Sicily. The private plane that Homer Ramos charters have will have a mechanical malfunction over the Atlantic Ocean. It will be a tragic loss for both her and her lover, Homer Ramos. The pilot will be the only other person on board the plane. Don't worry; he won't be a loss. Salvatore went against my direct orders and deserved his punishment. Joseph is too much of a cop to understand that Alexander and I must be strong. If I were to tell him, he wouldn't be able to go along with my wishes. But you, Signor Manoso, understand the fine art of war."_

"Yes, my moral code is more gray than black and white," I reply. I understand how hard it must be for a man to order his niece's, a woman he considered his daughter, death, but in his world, in his Family, he must make that call to keep face. I only hope that there are no long lasting ill feelings between him and his Family for this decision. "Why are you telling me, though?"

 _"I thought Signorina Plum might be able to rest better at night knowing that Teresa will no longer be able to hurt another woman or child the way that she was hurt. It kills me to know that Teresa tried to take your son away from you. Children are the greatest gift that God bestows upon us. No one should be able to take them away without consent, especially while they are babies. I know you allowed another man to adopt your daughter; I know you were young at the time, and it was your choice, so I hold no hard feelings, but it must be 100 times worse knowing that you almost lost your son."_

"I understand. Thank you for letting me know. I feel better knowing that Terry will receive just punishment."

 _"I trust you to tell no one other than Signorina Plum."_

"You have my word."

 _"Va bene. Arrivederci, Signor Manoso."_ Grizoli replied before hanging up. (Okay. Goodbye, Mr. Manoso)

 **Stephanie's POV**

I jump out of the SUV the moment Carlos slows down enough where I don't get hurt and run up to seven. I fob the door open to find Julie closing his onesie, as she is finishing his diaper change. Thank God for that girl. I thank Julie and take Miguel, quickly undoing my bra so he can eat. I feel him latch on and sigh in relief. I don't know how much longer I can go through this torture. I love nursing Miguel, but he has a huge appetite, and I'm beginning to wonder if formula would be better for him right now. He'll be six months old soon, so I guess I could start to wean him.

I know it's early, but I know Carlos wants to have another baby with me, and we haven't used a condom since I've been back. I'm not on birth control. Right now, I could be pregnant. I don't want to be nursing Miguel and then immediately start to nurse a second baby. Being a human cow is exhausting. While I was locked away, it didn't seem bad. I could spend most of my day feeding Miguel because frankly, I had nothing better to do. But now that I am living a normal life, I'm not sure that it's still working. I can also start to feel Miguel's teeth coming in, and that hurts when he bites down. My breasts are sensitive all the time, but right around feeding time, they feel extremely heavy, sore, and painful. I'll need to ask my doctor when I go.

I want to confront Sofia again, but I know that if I go into that cell again, she won't answer us. I am her enemy, and if she knows that Carlos lied to her again, all bets are off. However, it would help for her to believe the affirmation of my descent into the role of Rangeman whore. When Carlos joins me, he has a strange look on his face, almost like he's trying to decide what to do or say.

"Is everything okay, Carlos?" I ask.

"Yeah, Babe, everything is good."

"Penny for your thoughts?"

"Vito Grizoli called. He wanted to assure me that Terry will not be living in Sicily until old age. She'll never make it to Sicily. Alexander and Vito are teaming up to take care of both their problems together. They will put out the word that Homer and Terry were lovers. Homer chartered a plane to Europe, which will crash into the Atlantic. Both individuals on board plus the pilot will die. The pilot is someone who helped Terry, so he is no loss, according to Vito. He didn't want to tell Morelli because deep down, Joe loves Terry. He is also too much of a good cop to look the other way if he knew it would be murder beforehand. He told me because he felt that you would want to know."

"Wow," is about all I can think of say. While part of me feels bad for Terry, I'm surprisingly fine with the outcome. From Sofia's records, it appears that they sold at least fifty women into slavery in the last ten months, and they sold about ten babies. That's over sixty families that were torn apart by her actions. No, I don't have a problem with Vito's justice. "Carlos, I'm fine. I'm not upset. She'll be getting what she deserves."

"Are you sure you're okay? I didn't want to tell you."

"Yes. I'm sure. But now, I have some ideas about dealing with Sofia. All of the evidence we discovered is going to be part of the case against her, right?"

"Yes, and because she has Lula's account information listed, it can be used against Lula as well," Carlos tells me.

"Okay. Carlos, you should go into her room first, alone. Then, have Lester join you. When Lester enters, he should comment to you about how good I was, how he's a little annoyed that you kept me to yourself for so long when I'm a fine piece of ass or something along that line. You apologize for being selfish, but now that you have Sofia, you realize that you don't need me. Besides, you can always use me like the whore that I am along with the rest of your men. You need to ask Lester how the others are enjoying their gift. He needs to sound convincing that the guys are all enjoying their gift."

"Babe, I can't do that. The thought of any of my men touching you in that manner angers me."

"I know, Carlos, but Sofia doesn't. That exchange will allow her to trust you again, confessing to everything she did to explain the business plan. You need to release her from her shackles while you talk to her, let her flirt and touch. You need to respond as well but keeping it chaste. You tell her the room has cameras, and you don't want your men, to see her like that. Tell her that once you understand the inner workings of the business, determine an approximate return on your investment, then you will bring her up to seven to celebrate."

"Do you expect me to kiss her and touch her? Babe, she took you and Miguel away from me. She injected you with a drug that almost killed you. She was trying to sell my son, our son to some other family. You can't expect me to pretend to love her?"

I sigh, roll my eyes, and reply. "Yes, Carlos, I do. It's called a distraction. Perhaps you heard of them." I know I'm sarcastic, but he needs to snap out of it, and I have no intentions on ever slapping my man.

I watch as he collapses into the chair across from me as I burp Miguel. "You're right, Stephanie. It's the only way. Please don't be mad at me for things I might have to say about you. Know that it won't be true. I'll update Santos on his role. I want to finish this, I want Sofia out of my building, and I want you for myself, Babe."

"Let me finish feeding Miguel, and I'll go with you," I tell Carlos.

"I'll feed him. Why don't you go shower and change?"

"Okay." I get up, bring Miguel to his father. Once I hand Miguel over, Carlos pulls me to him and crashes his lips against mine. When we break apart, he says, "Stephanie, I love you, with all my heart and soul. Remember that, Querida. You are mine, and I'm yours, forever, Babe."

"I love you too," I respond, with tears in my eyes. I don't think I'll ever get used to Carlos' expressions of love and devotion.


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: All things familiar belong to Ms. Evanovich. I make no money.**

 **Chapter 9**

 **Ranger's POV**

My Babe was right. I had to play along with Sofia's delusion if we wanted to put the nails in her coffin. I don't like knowing that my men fantasize about my Babe, but I know they do. I'm also aware that some of the younger men dream about Julie. Fortunately, though, they fear and respect me enough to leave her alone. Julie's sixteen years old, almost an adult. She looks and dresses like she's nineteen or twenty. I don't love living here with her, which is another reason why I never spent the night with Sofia. I trust my men, but I trust myself to protect my daughter more than anyone else.

Now that I have my Babe back and we have Miguel, maybe it's time to show her the 'Batcave' located in Princeton. It's a gorgeous old colonial with a lot of charm and plenty of room for our growing family. I have it secured by Rangeman, with every advanced feature available. Julie will be closer to her school, and it would be easy to send Miguel and his siblings to the same private school when it's their turn to attend.

I sigh, as I sit on the couch waiting for Stephanie to emerge from the bathroom. She is getting freshened up and will be watching me in one of the conference rooms with Agent Bicard, Morelli, Tank, Bobby, and Manny. Lester will be in the cage with me, along with Woody and Hector on the door in the hall. She enters the hallway, letting Julie know that after today, she won't have to spend all day with Miguel. As a thank you, both Steph and Julie will be attending a spa day together. I hear Julie squeal with delight. Even though Steph didn't discuss this with me ahead of time, there's no way I wouldn't allow it for my daughter and my Babe.

"Babe, are you ready?"

"Not yet, Carlos." With that, Steph straddles me, kissing me with a ferocity that I normally only experience from her in the throes of passion. When we break apart, catching our breath, our foreheads resting against each other, Steph says, "Now I am."

Steph rises off my lap; I must adjust my soldier, who is standing attention, waiting for action. I need to think him down. I picture Stephanie alone, beaten in some room by Homer Ramos. I've seen the way he treats his mistresses, and it's not pretty. That sight, in my mind's eye, is enough to have my soldier retreating in defeat. I stand, pulling my Babe against my chest, "You are going to pay for that later, Babe." I tell her, my voice deep with lust.

"I can't wait, Batman," Babe replies.

We proceed down to five, where Stephanie joins everyone in Conference Room D. I continue to the basement holding cells. I meet Woody and Hector outside, and they report no unusual movement or noise from the room. I nod to Lester, who knows his role. "Ranger, Cuz, you know I don't mean any of the things I'm going to say, right?"

"Yeah, I know. I keep reminding myself that this is Babe's plan. It's good, but I don't have to like it."

"Ranger, it's brilliant. I don't like it either, but it will get us what we need so this is a slam dunk. Maybe Celia will forgive us eventually." Lester adds.

I take a deep breath, stand straight, and signal Lester to start his comments as I open the door.

"I swear, Ranger, I can't believe you kept her from us for so long. She's a fucking wild cat in the sack. Damn, those sounds she makes, I feel my cock getting hard thinking about her, spread eagle, entering her tight pussy. Thanks, man, she's a great little play toy. Bobby and I are thinking about taking her together. I'm sure we can make her fly. She's so feisty when you fuck her."

I'm trying to ignore what my cousin is saying, but it's hard knowing that he's talking about my Babe. His statements go against everything we believe as men on how to treat women. Yes, Lester is a playboy, he's been with more women then Bobby, Tank, and I combined, but he is with only those who are aware that they are nothing more than a body to satisfy a need. None of us would ever hold a woman against her will or take her unwillingly. I may like to dominate my woman in the bedroom, but only with her consent. Hmm, I haven't tried that yet with Steph. Maybe she'll let me.

"Well, Sofia, it seems that we found your books. Your little enterprise is quite profitable. Now, what role do you need me to play?"

"Well, Carlos, I need you to provide security and to move the merchandise. I don't trust Homer Ramos, though Terry thinks he's trustworthy. I also want to get Terry out of the picture. Being linked to the mob is never a good thing. Lula is great at getting the women. She finds young, naïve whores who think that she can get them off the street. Then she brings them to us. All have been runaways with no one looking for them. As for the kids, we find strung out junkies or homeless teens, help them during their pregnancy, then take their kids when they're born as payment. Most go back to their former existence, some of the younger, prettier women go up for sale. So far, there has not been a single missing person report filed."

I'm sickened by the joy she seems to have at being part of ruining the lives of these women. I don't know if I can keep my emotions in check. In the field, I'm detached from the mission goals. It's my objective to hit, and I do so not caring. But now, she was planning to sell my heart, my soul, my Babe, and my blood. It's too close to home.

"What were your plans for Stephanie and Miguel. Maybe we can still cash in on Stephanie." I ask.

"Well, Stephanie is a little old and too fat. Homer wanted her and was willing to pay a cool two million for her. As for Miguel, that's up to you. He is your son. If you want him, I'll raise him as my child. But those damn blue eyes are a problem."

"No, I don't want him. How much can we get for the brat? As I told you, I don't want any more children. You need to figure out how to fix yourself so you will never become pregnant if we plan on staying together. I will not get a vasectomy, and I refuse to wear condoms until you hit menopause."

I can see a hint of fear and shock in her eyes. I know she wants a child with me, but that will never happen.

"Um, well, we had a buyer tentatively lined up. They were willing to pay five million dollars. They live in Colombia. It seems the wife had ovarian cancer. She is cancer free but can't have children. She's European, with blue eyes so that he would fit into the family without a problem. No one would ask questions."

Fuck! She's planning on selling my son to a fucking drug lord. No way in Hell would she make that happen.

"Can you contact him? Find out his whereabouts, set up a place for you to transfer the baby into his custody. Tell him he must be there, or he doesn't get Miguel."

"No problem. I need a secure phone and my laptop."

Lester and I leave her in the cell while we gather her laptop and a sat phone. I place a call to the General.

 _"_ _Hello, General Wallace."_

"General, it's Lieutenant Colonel Manoso."

 _"_ _Manoso, I hope you're not trying, once again, to sign up for missions. You're officially retired."_

"No, General, nothing like that. It's complicated. I found Stephanie and my son."

 _"_ _What? I thought your Stephanie was dead?"_

"She was, on paper, but she was held captive by a group based in Trenton who was planning on selling her and my son to the highest bidder. The problem was that there were not many couples who are looking for a Cuban-Hungarian-Italian baby."

 _"_ _I'm happy for you. That's an interesting story, Ranger, but why does it involve me?"_

I sigh. The General could be so clueless sometimes. "They found a bidder for my son, in Colombia, as a gift to his European wife who has ovarian cancer and cannot provide him with an heir. He's willing to pay two million dollars for Miguel."

 _"_ _You mean the Villavargas Cartel?"_

"Yes, General. Are you still trying to take him out? If so, I think I can provide a team for you with the intel needed to take him out with minimal risk." I tell him. I can tell that his demeanor has changed. I see him sitting up straighter in his chair, reaching for his keyboard, and determining which team to call up for the mission.

 _"_ _Of course, Manoso. I'll have a team to your offices in Trenton to be read in at 0700 tomorrow morning. Is that soon enough?"_

"It should be. Let me know who we need to expect. I'll provide rooms for them if they need them."

 _"_ _I have the team. It's Bryan Peralta, Andrés Mejía, Anderson Pinos, and Lester Santos."_

"General, with all due respect, I think Santos may be too close to be objective. Stephanie means a lot to all my men, especially my men here in Trenton. She is the reason that we consider ourselves a family."

There's a pause on the line before the General responds with an alternate name. _"How about Juan Alvarez?"_

Fuck, the General is playing me. He knows I don't trust Alvarez. That's why he picked Santos. I guess I'm going to give in to his request. "Okay, General, you win. Pull Santos."

 _"_ _Carlos, I can only begin to know how you feel, but after you, Santos is the best leader. You want Villlavargas taken out cleanly with minimal collateral damage then Santos has to lead that team."_

"I understand. I'll be expecting the rest of the team in the morning."

 _"_ _Keep me abreast of the situation. I expect to be part of the conference call."_ The General replies before hanging up the phone.

After the phone call, I return to Sofia's cage, giving her the items, she requested. She places the call, setting up the date and time for the transfer of custody of my son to Villavargas. I have Lester take all the equipment out of the room; then I approach her. She thinks I'm coming on to her, to fuck her, but never again. I walk towards her, and she backs into the wall, I turn her so that her front is against the wall and I place handcuffs on her arms. Lester returns, placing shackles on her legs and around her waist. She looks at me, confused.

"Carlos, lover, what are you doing?"

"I'm making sure that you will never destroy another family. I can't fucking believe that you thought that I would want to be part of human trafficking, that I would consent to sell my fiancé, the mother of my child, into slavery? That I would consent to give my son to a drug lord, after spending many years fighting them, killing them off, and capturing them to stop the flow of drugs into this country. I don't know what happened to you to make you this way, but you disgust me, Sofia. Stephanie is a far better person than you will ever be. I'll be honored to call her my wife. Enjoy the rest of your life in hell, Sofia."

I nod to Lester who takes Sofia out of the room, into the custody of three agents. I will never need to worry about Sofia Caballo ever again.

 **Agent Bicard POV**

All the rumors I heard about Stephanie Plum throughout the last few years are true. She is amazing, in so many ways. First, she is beautiful, but not in a drop dead gorgeous sort of way. She has this light to her that draws people to her. She is pure and innocent, even after everything that she's been through. Secondly, she has instincts that some of my colleagues who have trained for years don't have. And finally, she managed to tame Ranger Manoso and his men, a feat that I never thought would be possible.

Even though I am here representing our government, I'm not an FBI agent. That's only what I told TPD. Instead, I'm the domestic version of a black operative. While military black ops only run outside of the US, I work with the government to clean house within the US borders. That's why I'm in charge of this case. If I were truly an FBI agent, I could never let Theresa Gilman or Homer Ramos board that plane. I would be required to take them into federal custody. As it is, Lula Knight and Sofia Caballo will never see the light of day again. My colleagues are removing both of those women from the Rangeman facilities. There will be an accident along the way, which will kill both Ms. Knight and Ms. Caballo, officially. Unofficially, they will end up in the Gitmo for US citizens. Ranger, of course, knows who I am, but he's the only one. I'm sure his Stephanie will figure it out sooner or later.

I was watching the monitors with Stephanie while Manoso was 'working' with Sofia. I couldn't help the smug look that passed across Detective Morelli's face when Manoso said those horrible things about Stephanie. I know Stephanie told Manoso to say those things, but she was still hurt hearing them said aloud. I saw Manoso and Santos leave the room and saw Manoso make a phone call. After the call, he walked back in the room. As we observed him wrap everything up, I saw how difficult it was for him. The things he said about Stephanie and their son at the end I can tell meant a lot to Stephanie. When she saw him finishing things up with Sofia, she left the conference room. I saw her appear in the hallway once we removed Sofia from the building. Then, she walked over to Manoso, placing her arms around his waist from behind, resting her head on his back. I saw some of his body's tension release, then he turned around and kissed his woman passionately. There was no audio for the hallway, but my lip reading skills come in handy sometimes. He told Stephanie that he was sorry, that he loved her, and only her. Then, he asked her if she wanted to get married tonight, that he can't wait another day to make her his wife. He wants to be a family, officially. I can only imagine that Stephanie consented because he lifted her off her feet, turning her around, ending in another kiss. They walk hand in hand towards the elevator. I glance at Morelli and see that he is not pleased with the interaction between Stephanie and Manoso. I guess he is still not over her.

Once they return to the room, I know that we still have more work to do.

"There will be three gentlemen joining us tomorrow when we will brief them on events of this investigation. It appears that Sofia was planning on selling Miguel to Juan Carlo Villavargas, head of the infamous drug cartel out of Colombia. We arranged for the sale of Miguel to Villavargas and a team, headed by Santos, will apprehend Villavargas while taking out whoever they can. We need to prepare our reports quickly, as we will be reading them in at 0700. Any questions?"

I can tell why Manoso is the best of the best. He threw this operation together within minutes, contacted the proper authorities to get the job done, and will get rid of a drug lord along with these human traffickers. I'm impressed.

"What do you need me to do?" I ask.

"I need you to gather every piece of intel that you are privy to about Villavargas and his inner circle. I want to know who Santos and his team could encounter. Morelli, I need you to transfer all evidence in TPD custody to be given to Agent Bicard and his team.

 **Three Weeks Later**

 **Ranger's POV**

The team led by Santos managed to apprehend Villavargas without any fanfare or gunfire. His wife, who was complacent in the drug dealing and who was the person actively seeking the child, was arrested along with her husband. Lester also managed to snag the cartel's numbers two and three. For now, that drug pathway is none existent. We all know that new players will take over because it is far too profitable, but it usually takes six months to a year before the next cartel's business is in full swing.

The night Agent Bicard's men took away Sofia and Lula, Stephanie and I married on the roof of Rangeman, with Julie and Lester standing for us as our Maid of Honor and Best Man. Miguel was a ring bearer, while the rest of my men, Ella and Luis were the only guests. Ella ordered pizza for our party, at Stephanie's request, and she managed to get a cake from Tasty Pastry before they closed.

The Burg still doesn't know that Stephanie is alive. We managed to keep her a secret. I was surprised that Morelli agreed not to tell anyone, but I guess he didn't want to face the Burg busybodies. Either way, it's been nice having my wife and son all to myself. We decided that we're going to make a splash to announce Stephanie's return.

Tonight is the Annual Mayor's Ball, to raise money for various charities that operate in Trenton. Everyone who wants their fifteen minutes of fame is there. Rangeman always has two tables, as we believe in giving back to our community. Tonight, I will arrive fashionably late with Stephanie and Miguel. Usually, there are no children at the ball, but I've already spoken to Senator Juniak who will take care of any hurdles we might face. I know that several prominent members of the Burg grapevine will be in attendance, including the Plums, the whole lot. Juniak invited Frank, Ellen, Valerie, and Albert as his special guests. Edna knew what we were doing, but chose not to attend. She stays out of the Burg as much as possible, spending time with her close friends and Stephanie. She does want to see a video, though. I promised her that Brown would live stream the event to her.

My Babe is currently in the bathroom, primping and prepping herself for her debut. With Ella's assistance, she found hair and makeup artists to come to the apartment to help Stephanie get ready. She is wearing a Valentino off the shoulder burgundy-hued taffeta cocktail dress. The dress gathers at the waist in a wrap style, making her waist look smaller while accentuating her fuller, bigger breasts. It has a built-in bustier so that she won't need a bra. She stopped nursing Miguel two and a half weeks ago, after her doctor and Miguel's doctor gave her the okay. She is no longer leaking milk. The dress falls half-way down her thighs. Her shoes, though, Madre Dios, drive me crazy. She found a pair of Jimmy Choo slingback peep-toe stilettos in silver glitter. The shoes have an almost five-inch heel with a one-inch platform. The shoes put her slightly taller than me. They also make her legs look even longer. She modeled the shoes for me last night, and let me tell you; we didn't get much sleep.

I'm wearing an Armani tuxedo, black on black with a burgundy tie and pocket square to match Stephanie's dress. I'm waiting for her in the living room, ready to head out to the party when Julie announces that Stephanie will be out in five minutes. Julie is coming with us and will watch Miguel so we can dance and enjoy ourselves. Julie loves her brother and looks for any opportunity to spend time with him. She is wearing a turquoise dress with a round neck and cap sleeves. The dress is fitted in the torso, but flares at her waist, ending about an inch or two above her knees. She has on a pair of matching flats, not quite confident holding Miguel in heels.

Stephanie enters the living room. I take one look at her and I swear, time stops. She is stunning. All I want to do is bring her back into the bedroom and ravish her all night long. I am speechless, which is a rarity. "Babe, you look, I can't find the words to describe how beautiful, sexy, radiant you look right now. Dios, te quiero, Babe."

"Back at you, Batman," she teases.

I finally make my legs move and walk over to her, kissing her chastely on her lips, knowing if I deepen the kiss, we'll never leave. Julie follows out with Miguel, who is in a baby Armani suit. We have pajamas to change him into after our grand entrance.

We head down to the garage and make the fifteen minute trip to the reception hall. Lester informed me that about ninety percent of the people are there, so our timing is perfect. We arrive at the valet, and I hand the kid my keys to the Cayenne and a hundred dollar bill. That will ensure that the car stays in his sight at all times. I tell Julie to go in ahead of us. Once inside, she is to go straight to the Rangeman tables. I take Miguel from her, holding him on my left side while placing my right hand on Stephanie's lower back. We take a deep breathe and enter the room.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

 **Stephanie's POV**

The moment is here. It's now or never. It is time for me to reclaim my life. I know about the horrible things my so-called family said about me after I "died." I know how they treated Carlos horribly. I still don't understand why they hate me so much. However, after everything that has happened to me over the last year, I realized that I don't give a fuck anymore.

I am happier now than I have ever been. I have a love of my life standing by my side. I have a wonderful step-daughter and the perfect son. I love being a mother, more so than I ever thought possible. I am not a traditional mother, though. I still work for Rangeman, though I do office work solely. I don't put myself at risk of getting hurt anymore. My son needs me. Carlos has also cut back on his dangerous work, spending most of his time working on contract and installations, leaving the skip chasing to the younger guys. Don't get me wrong, he does go out for some "fun" as he calls it, but he is always back-up, never the lead. He knows I need him, and so does Miguel.

We open the doors, entering the ballroom. We walk towards the Rangeman tables, which are conveniently at the opposite end of the entrance. It takes about a minute, but suddenly a hush falls over the entire ballroom before I hear the whispering begin.

I hear various voices saying, "Is that Stephanie Plum? I thought she was dead? Look at the Manoso, he found a clone to replace Stephanie. He couldn't have actually loved her. What is SHE doing here? I thought she is buried in the cemetery. I must be seeing a ghost."

Finally, I hear the shrill voice that only belongs to Ellen Plum, "Stephanie Michelle Plum, what are you doing here? Who is that brat? Why are you here with that, that thug? You should be here with Joseph. You need to arrest that man! He kidnapped my daughter and held her hostage for the past year, making us all believe that she was dead! He's an animal, I tell you!"

We then hear Senator Junaik's voice over the rest of the voices. "Ladies and Gentlemen of Trenton, I would like to reintroduce to you all Mrs. Stephanie Michelle Plum-Manoso. I know that you have many questions regarding Stephanie, and I will do my best to give you the Reader's Digest version of what happened to her. Mr. and Mrs. Manoso has given me permission to share this information with you, and I ask that you don't bother them tonight for details of her ordeal. Anyone who harasses Mrs. Manoso will be removed from the ballroom.

"A little over a year ago, Stephanie was abducted when she went to give her friend and co-worker Lula a ride home from a club here in Trenton. Lula had set her up to be taken. When she woke up after being stunned, she found herself chained in a windowless room. At the time of her abduction, she was pregnant with Mr. Manoso's child. He was not aware of her pregnancy, and neither were her abductors.

"She was taken to be sold into slavery. The motive for kidnapping Stephanie was to remove a rival. One party wanted her out of the way so she could claim Joseph Morelli, while the other wanted to claim Ranger. The third party wanted Stephanie for his use, for his entertainment. Lula, though, wanted Stephanie out of the way so she could make money. Greed was the ultimate motivator for her.

"When her captors discovered that she was pregnant, they decided not to sell her immediately. You see, they were also involved in black market adoptions. They figured the child was Morelli's and knew they could make a lot of money on that baby. Fortunately for Steph, the baby was Ranger's child.

"When she gave birth to a son who looked Hispanic, the buyer reneged, wanting a white child. That kept Stephanie and her son together. In the meantime, Ranger and his company were working with TPD and the FBI to shut down a human trafficking ring. Little did Ranger know when he moved on his intel that fateful night that he would be reunited with Stephanie.

"With Stephanie's help, we were able to identify the perpetrators, Lula Knight, Terry Gilman, Homer Ramos, and Sophia Cabello. Terry and Homer tried to escape to Europe, and almost made it, except their plane malfunctioned over the Atlantic Ocean and crashed. They did not survive. Lula and Sophia were taken into custody, and are awaiting trial now. Three weeks ago, Stephanie and Ranger were married, living together as a family with Ranger's daughter Julie and their son, Miguel.

"I know, like you all, I'm so pleased that Stephanie is alive and well. I wish her and Mr. Manoso all the luck in the world because they deserve it."

At the end of his speech, the Senator walked away from the podium. Before I could take another step forward, my mother was in front of me with my sister at her side.

 **Ellen Plum's POV**

I was so excited when Laura Juniak called to invite Frank, Valerie, Albert and me to attend the Mayor's Ball as their guests. Frank and I have never had the money to purchase a ticket to this event before, so it is even more special.

I went shopping with Valerie two weeks ago to find the perfect dress. Frank and Albert will be renting tuxedos for the night. We head to Macy's, where I am appalled at the selection of cocktail dresses. They are too low cut, too short, and too tight. Who are they designed for? A teenager? We left after only a half hour, before going to a small boutique in Hamilton Township.

There, we found the perfect dresses for the occasion. I am wearing a navy blue dress with three-quarter sleeve, a sweetheart bodice with lace covering to a collar around my neck. The dress is form-fitted through the torso, but not skin tight. The dress flares slightly at the waist is a typical A-line style and end about two inches below my knee. I pair the dress with navy blue pumps with a two-inch heel and a navy blue sequined evening bag. Nude pantyhose will finish my ensemble.

Valerie's dress is black, with an empire waist to make her appear thinner. It has a modest scoop neck with short sleeves. It comes with a jacket. The skirt ended halfway down her calf. She wears two-inch black pumps with a silver evening bag. We both decided to wear our hair in a delicate U-shaped French twist.

Valerie and Albert arrive at my house promptly at six-thirty, so we can be on time. The Juniaks is picking us up in a limousine. Tonight is simply magical. The men's tuxedos fit them good, not perfect, but what do you expect from a rental. We arrive in style to the hall, and I see many of my friends staring with envy at our good fortune.

The cocktail hour is marvelous, the food delicious. We are having such a great time. Valerie and I are in the middle of talking with the Mayor's wife when everyone stops talking suddenly. We glance around, trying to figure out what happened when I see HER.

The moment I laid eyes on HER I knew it was my wayward daughter. That bitch Stephanie, who has to return from the dead to destroy everything that Valerie and I tried so hard to rebuild this last year. To make matters even worse, she's standing with the thug and some brat. I hope that brat isn't my grandson. What would the neighbors say about having a dark-skinned grandchild?

I look at her dress in disbelief. Why me? That dress is RED! RED! Doesn't she know that an appropriate cocktail dress is black, blue or silver? She's the only one here wearing red. And her hair! My God, she's wearing it down in a mess of curls. Where did I go wrong? Stephanie should have her hair up. Those shoes, those shoes are the worst. They are hooker shoes. No one should be wearing shoes that high to a formal function. Stephanie looks like a hooker.

I must admit, though, that the thug looks really good in the tuxedo. There is no what that he rented that tuxedo. It looks like it was made for him. She doesn't belong next to him in that, that "outfit." Hell, she even has the brat in a tuxedo that fits him better than Frank or Albert's tuxedo. I need a drink.

I can't keep quiet any longer and finally yell out, "Stephanie Michelle Plum, what are you doing here? Who is that brat? Why are you here with that, that thug? You should be here with Joseph. You need to arrest that man! He kidnapped my daughter and held her hostage for the past year, making us all believe that she was dead! He's an animal, I tell you!"

Joe Juniak asks us to be quiet, and we comply. After all, he IS a Senator. Then he weaves this lie together about where my good-for-nothing daughter has been for the last year. I can't believe that she ruined poor Theresa's life. Theresa was a good woman. I should have known she was behind Theresa's sudden death. Thankfully, Joe is finally finished. I will go over to my disgrace of a daughter and find out what the meaning of all this is once and for all. I motion for Valerie to follow me and walk over to my ungrateful, slut of a daughter.

 **Stephanie' POV**

"Stephanie Michelle Plum, what is the meaning of this? How could you spread lies about poor Teresa? She's a good woman, and you're nothing but a whore, a slut! How did I manage to raise such a sad excuse of a woman? I demand that you divorce this thug immediately and marry Joseph right away. I know that brat isn't yours."

Valerie joined right in, "Stephanie, don't you know how many problems you created for your nieces? My daughters are outcasts in the Burg because of you! Why do you continue to ruin our lives?"

I am on the verge of tears, the only thing keeping me steady is seeing my son in my husband's arms. I finally stand tall and proud, and stick up for myself.

"I am sorry you feel that way. I know that you would do so much better than I if you had been kidnapped, chained in a storage facility, and forced into captivity. I realize that my pain and suffering is nothing compared to your "rejection" by the Burg busybodies. Being that I am obviously such a pill, you can pretend I am still dead. My name is Stephanie Michelle Manoso. I am no longer a Plum. Therefore, I am no longer your problem. I hoped that you would want to know your grandson, but I see he isn't important to you. At least he has his Manoso grandparents and Ella to spoil him like he deserves. Now, if you will excuse me, I'd like to join my family at our table."

I walk passed Ellen and Valerie. Carlos squeezes my hand to give me courage as we walk to our table. Once I arrive at the table, my brother, my Merry Men surround me, hugging me and kissing me; congratulating me on finally standing up for myself. Just as I'm about to sit down, I see Joe standing by my table.

"It's good to see you back, Cup…Stephanie. I'm glad I no longer need to pretend that you are still dead. Let me know if you need any help. I'm, I'm proud of you, Stephanie." He said before kissing my cheek. He looks at Carlos, and they share some silent form of communication before he walks away to rejoin his family. As I sit down, I can't help but be thankful for all that I have now.

 **Ranger's POV**

 **Five years later**

I am amazed at the changes in my life over that last six years. It all started the day. I thought I love my Babe forever. Thankfully, she was only kidnapped. When I found her and my son, my world was right once again.

Miguel is now five, and he was joined by his sister Gabriela Lucia four years ago. Stephanie's pregnancy with Gabby was tough on her, and her birth was worse. Her water broke at home, and we barely made it to the hospital in time. She tore badly given birth and had uncontrolled uterine bleeding. The doctor needs to perform an emergency hysterectomy to save Steph's life. We were upset at first, knowing that Gabby would be our last child, but I much prefer to have my Stephanie over any other future children.

Miguel is starting kindergarten this fall, and Gabby is starting pre-kindergarten. Stephanie is now in charge of the Residential Security division of Rangeman. Families much prefer dealing with Stephanie than my men. At her instance, we hired more women, all former military. They have proven to be valuable. Since Stephanie decided not to do any more distractions, these women have stepped into that role, ensure everyone's safety knowing that they can handle themselves. It also allows us to get skips in the same location because we have different women. It also gives us a chance at getting a skip more than once. Also, women also help when dealing with clients. Most of our teams are now male/ female partnerships which have proven to be highly successful.

I now handle the Commercial Security division of Rangeman. I no longer go after skips, except to be in the communication van at the outer perimeter during a distraction. I won't put myself at risk. My family is more important. I try to avoid being directly involved in federal cases, usually allowing Lester or Bobby to take the lead.

Julie is twenty-one, studying computer programming and engineering at MIT. She wants to work at Rangeman, designing our new security systems. I'm all for her joining Rangeman. In her position, she'd be safe from harm. She has been dated a wonderful young man for two years. He's from a prominent Pennsylvanian family. He's studying cybersecurity, and would also like to join the Rangeman team. I know we need to venture into cybersecurity, but we don't have employees with enough knowledge to expand into that sector. I hope that Pedro will fill that role.

I still carry two guns and a knife, and Lord knows that I have enemies out there, but I wouldn't change my life for any amount of money. I love my wife, my Stephanie, and I love my three children. I hope that the next fifty years are as wonderful as the last five have been. I was almost too late to save my Babe, but thankful, I arrived just in time to save our lives.


End file.
